


The Swap

by Kaoz



Category: Good Omens, Supernatural
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-12
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2017-12-14 18:32:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 31,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/840019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaoz/pseuds/Kaoz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They were looking into a forbidden hunt – as per usual.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The theory that there are alternate universes in which another us exists has been around for some time. I started wondering 'what if' ... Sam and Dean had alternate versions of themselves in a different reality?  
> And 'what if' those other versions of our favorite brothers were ... GIRLS!  
> AND... 'what if' by some 'Supernatural' way one of them got swapped with the other version of themselves or sibling? How would that work?

_**The Road Ahead…** _

Time. Its fluid. It heals ‘all’ wounds. It marks the passage of our years. It slips through our fingers like sand. It’s endless and yet we can only have a tiny bit for ourselves.

Time…

We all wish there was a way to turn back the clock. To correct our mistakes. The inevitable 'what if' that each of us will struggle with no matter how hard we try to live without regrets. But what if……


	2. Diana

  
**W**  

“I knew it!” the next few words don’t bear repeating but he did raise an eyebrow at the colorful expletives. “Dammit, Sammy!”

Well, that got his attention.

“Hey!” he moves around the shack to get her attention. “Hello! Yeah,” he nods once she turns towards him. “What the hell?” because he's not sure who she is, what happened, or how she even got there.

“I told her!” she kicks at the rickety table. “This time it’s _not_ my fault. I was right. I told her this Hunt was off, I told her it wasn’t-.”

“Told who?” he moves to block the door. “What the hell are you talking about and who the hell are you?”

She glares at him, a pair of dark green eyes narrow on him.

“Diana Campbell.” She doesn’t expect the surprise crossing his features.

“Campbell?” surprise quickly turns to anger and whatever the hell is going on is the Campbell's fault. That’s what he's going with.

“Try and hold back on the animosity, Sparky.” Diana doesn’t hide the sarcastic anger. “Now who the fuck are you?”

He's annoyed by her demand. “Dean Winchester.”

Diana feels as though she just got kicked in the stomach. “…Winch… Winchester?” she hates the sound of her voice- the sound of a lost little kid. “You're...? Your Father. His name.” she gets up in his face and the lost little girl is now the angry young woman. “What's his name?!”

“Woa, woa-.” Dean steps back from the angry female, hands up and ready to fend off any blows because she certainly looks ready to start scuffling.

“I'm not a God damn horse!” Diana shoves a hand at his chest. “Your Father's name!”

“I'm not above hitting a girl.” Dean states, jaw clenching.

“Neither am I.” Diana replies and the gray in her green eyes stands out. “So do I beat it out of you?”

Dean can't help the bark of laughter that escapes. She's ballsy alright and he's not sure where all the anger is coming from but it’s got something to do with his Dad and that’s never a good sign.

“John Winchester.”

There's a long pause. Dean can see the hurt flashing across her face, the sting of tears in her eyes and the sharp inhalation of breath that she holds for a moment before exploding.

“That son of a bitch!” Diana turns, hands clenching in her loose hair.

“Hey-.”

“He lied to me!” she kicks at the chair. “To all of us!” she turns on Dean.

“What?” Dean's incredulous disbelief is true and she knows it.

“He _did_ have someone else.” Because Dean is older than Adam and John had promised that had been the first time. “How long, huh?” she shoves at his shoulder. “How long was he cheating on Mom?”

“Who?” Dean's eyes narrow. “What the hell are you talking about?” he's pissed off too because now there's another one? A girl and obviously older than Adam.

“John Winchester.” Diana spits past her clenched teeth. “That lying son of a bitch…” she steps away from Dean. “I'm gonna _kill_ him.” She starts moving around Dean to get to the door. She's been played for a fool and so has her Mother-

“Too late.” Dean moves just a little and Diana turns to him once again. “He's been dead 5 years.”

“You're lying.” Diana doesn’t hesitate. “Sammy spoke to him three days ago.”

“Now you're the liar.” Dean scowls. “My Father is dead and how the hell-.” He frowns as she pulls out her cell phone and ignores him. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What the fuck?” she can't connect her call and the operator is cut off mid-sentence.

“Problem?” Dean smirks still annoyed.

“For you.” Diana glares at him trying to dial a different number. “When I put my boot up your ass.”

Dean shakes his head and tries to modulate his voice to something sort of placating instead of condescending. “Listen sweetheart-.”

“Gross.” Diana cuts in. “Are you slow or just stupid?” she's looking at him likes he's grown a third eye and Dean has a moment of recognition. He's seen that exact expression before…

“You do realize we are related. John is- God I hate to acknowledge this- my Father as well as yours.” She looks down at her phone and tries another number. “Dumb ass.” Is the muttered insult she throws her ‘brother’.

Dean decides to let it pass. He’ll be the mature one. For once. And he's going to ignore the implication they share a parent. For the moment. “How do you know Sam?”

Diana doesn’t bother looking up from her cell phone, still trying to get at least one of the contacts in her list to answer or at the very least connect. “She's my sister.”

“Sister?” Dean echoes. “Sam?” he frowns; a little confused. She's not making sense. “What are you smoking?”

“Where the hell is this place?” Diana glares looking around the shack that isn't like the one she walked into with her sister. “Why can't I get anyone on the phone?”

Dean has enough.

“Where the hell is Sam?”

 “Where the hell is Samantha?”

They look at each other, confusion clear on each face and the simultaneous question. They face each other.

“Who?” they echo in unison. Which is creepy either way you slice it.

“Alright.” Dean has enough and he's not letting her out of his sight until he figures out what the hell is going on. “You.” He jabs a finger at her. “Start from the beginning.”

Diana shifts slightly. She seems to calm down, her arms slowly cross and the slight tilt of her head is a clear indication she's not pleased. It’s eerie how Dean can tell her mood when he knows _nothing_ about her but it’s almost as though he's in her head in a way.

“Was that an order?” Diana’s tone is deceptively serene. “I don’t like orders.” She points out, it’s only fair since they just met. “Chris learned that real fast. You don’t want to go the same road as Mark. So,” she takes a step towards Dean. “Ask nice. … Brother.”

Dean blinks. “Chris? Christian Campbell?” because that’s not possible. The Campbell's are dead.

“Oh,” Diana places her right hand on her chest. “Did I stutter?” she mocks, angry still. “Christian and Mark Campbell. My cousins-ugh,” she rolls her eyes. “Guess they're yours too. In a way.” She glares. “I don’t have to share! So no, not yours.”

“They're dead.” Dean is harsh, the scowl on his face matching hers.

“And what the hell are _you_ smoking, Dean?” Diana demands.

Dean ignores that and takes another step towards her but she's still not intimidated. “What the hell’s going on?” he demands. “I want to know what you did with Sam?”

“So you're slow…” Diana nods like this is the answer she should’ve known all along. “ _Samantha_ ,” she states in her best ‘I'm trying to dumb this down for you, idiot’ tone. “K? and as far as I know you're working with that witchling.” She jabs a finger at his chest. “ _You_ tell me what happened to my sister.”

Dean scowls. “Listen, _Sam,_ my brother-.”

“Awesome.” Diana rolls her eyes, hands moving to rest on her hips. “There's two of you.”

**W**


	3. Samantha

  
**W**  

He's dizzy and on the floor. His nose wrinkles at the musty smell from the dirt packed floor.

“I want her back!”

He shifts, turns over and spots the blond girl holding her gun aimed at him.

“Hey! You-. _Fuck!_ ” she kicks the table over sending the bowl and its contents flying. There's no one else in the shack.

“What happened?” he sits up only to raise his hands in surrender when the gun is aimed at his head yet again.

“Don’t move!” she orders. He sits still, hazel eyes drifting around the shack. “God damn… why couldn’t Di be wrong again?” she mutters.

“Uhmm.” He doesn’t get a chance to question her.

“Quiet! You're going back where ever you came from and I'm getting my sister back.”

“Look,” he tries again. “I don’t know what's going on.” He looks around, confused. “Or where I am...”

“Right,” she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a flask. “First things first.” She unscrews the lid and holds it out. “Open up.”

He's leery about drinking anything out of a flask from some strange young woman he can't be sure is what she looks like. “What? Wait-.”

“I'm not asking.” She states and the gun never wavers. “I'm telling. If you're a regular Joe, then…”

“You're a Hunter.” He's not exactly relieved by the discovery but at least he knows what he's dealing with. Or thinks he does.

“And I still don’t know _what_ you are.” She points out. “Open.”

He does as she asks hoping it’s only holy water and not … well, something else. She's not happy, tries salt and continues from there each time getting a negative. It’s when the shiny silver blade comes out that he has another moment of panic.

“On your stomach. Pull up your sleeve.” The blade flips in her hand with ease.

“Wait!” he protest in alarm.

“ _Now_.” She doesn’t hesitate to kick him on his back. He grimaces and turns over doing what she says.

“Look, you don’t have to-.” He stops talking when he feels the gun pressed against the back of his neck.

“Don’t. Move.” She's got no other ‘tests’ and so far he's coming up human. The blade swipes clear across his forearm and of course it stings but he keeps it in. “Your name.” she steps back from him with the gun still aimed at his head.

“Can I get up?” he questions, turning over carefully.

“Funny name.” she quips. “Parents don’t like you much, huh?”

He grimaces and slowly gets to his feet. “Sam, after my grandfather.” He's ‘annoyed’ to say the least.

“Huh, and his name?” she's suspicious. There's something about the hulking giant she can't put her finger on that’s giving her the heebie-jeebies.

“Samuel Campbell.” Sam doesn’t miss the shock on her face.

“What the hell are you?” she demands through gritted teeth. The gun is always in his face and he steps back.

“I'm a Hunter, like you.” Sam replies, quickly raising his hands in surrender. “I don’t know what's going on, how I got here- where am I?”

“You... you're… you can't be.” She trails off, her eyes shimmering in the weak light from the dirty window. “Who are you!! Your full name!”

“Sam Winchester.”

She's more than upset. But her gun drops slightly. “Your Dad…?”

“John Winchester. Did you know him?” Sam wonders as he takes a tentative step towards her.

“You're lying!!”

He doesn’t expect the violent denial or the rage in her expression. “You're a liar! He wouldn’t!”

“What- wait!” Sam backpedals, that gun is up and in his face once again and he's confused about what the hell is happening. “I'm not- John Winchester was my Father. I'm Sam Winchester. My brother is Dean Winchester-.”

“Two.” She stops her forward rush and the gun slowly drops to her side. “There’s two of you?”

“Did you know my Dad?” Sam hesitates to move anywhere near her.

“Know…?” she looks up and the tear that slides down her cheek gets wipes off roughly. “Why do you keep talking of him in the past tense?” she glares at the shack. “What kind of fucked up trick is this?” she turns back to Sam. “You _can't_ be his- he wouldn’t!”

Sam realizes she's trying to convince herself.

“Who wouldn’t…?” Sam blinks, straightens up. “Oh… my God.” Now he's incredulous and disappointed. “You're… is he…? Sister.” He runs both hands through his hair. “There's two of _you_?” he looks around but it’s just them. “Where is she?”

“Shut _up!!_ ” she demands with a little stomp of her foot that would be ridiculously funny in a different situation. “I let the whole thing with Adam slide. I even talked Diana into-.”

“Adam?” Sam cuts in. “Adam Milligan? He's alive-?”

“How do you know about our brother?” she demands.

“Look…” Sam isn't sure what he should say but he knows enough to be careful.

“Start talking.” She cocks the gun and aims it at Sam again. “All of it; your Mother, how long ago did it start, where the hell did you come from and …” she blinks because the idea that he'd lied to her even after he'd promised!

“Ok, alright.” Sam breathes. It’s never easy but it’s worse now that he knows the things that happened to his family were because of him. “My Mom died in a fire when I was six months old. Her name was Mary Winchester. Campbell…” Sam has a bad feeling due to the expression slowly forming her features into rage.

“Oh,” she breathes. “You... _fuck_ -.” The gun is once again coming up. “I'm going to fill you with lead! You son of a bitch!”

Sam lunges the short distance between them and grabs at the gun. It goes off twice in the struggle but neither is close to being hit. She jabs a fist close to his groin he doesn’t expect. Sam is still trying not to hurt her- his half sister. Her foot gets him good and they end up on the packed dirt floor grunting and rolling around until Sam has the gun.

“Get _off_!!!” she demands and reaches back to claw at his face.

“Calm down.” Sam orders tossing the gun far away from them. He tries to grab the free arm but she's wily. “Quit trying to kill me and let’s figure this out.” He groans again from the elbow she jabs into his side.

“Already did and you're going back one way or another.” She bucks under him trying to remove his weight from her back. “Get OFF!!”

“Go back to where?” Sam shoves down on her back and sort of sits up. “I don’t even know where here is!” he doubles over and grabs the fist flailing blindly towards his face. “Stop hitting me!”

“NO! If you're my Dad’s then-.”

“Your Dad?” Sam gets confirmation but it still surprises him.

“There are body parts touching that shouldn’t, you perv!!” she screams like he hasn’t heard her already. “Get off!!”

Sam definitely feels weird. “Just … stop hitting me.” He's totally weirded out but he's fast to get off his sister. They both scramble as far from each other as the shack allows. “Now,” Sam draws in a breath and carefully keeps her gun at his side. “What's your name?

She laughs. It’s not filled with humor and her hazel eyes lock with his. “Samantha Winchester.”

Sam snorts a short breath. He knows Dean would find that so friggin hilarious. He shakes his head. “What's going on?”

**W**


	4. The Road So Far...

  
**W**  

“Huh.”

That’s not the reaction Dean was expecting. He's told her everything even though it goes against his need to keep their lives personal.

She's normal.

Human normal at least. They’ve both made sure they aren't something other than human.

“That’s it? “Huh”.” He frowns.

“Yeah.” Diana moves to the door and yanks it open. “Now get me some proof.”

“Proof?” Dean echoes and turns towards the door. “Of what?” he follows her outside to where Sam and he had parked the Impala. “We salted and burned him.”

“You really want me to believe Mom died in a freaky fire, that Dad saw some- what? Shadow? – and then went around asking questions that, by the way, only get you a room in the nut-house, _and_ was “embraced” by the Hunting community?” she scoffs pausing on the trail to look at Dean. “Puleeze. Biggest load of bull I've heard since Dad tried to ‘explain’ Adam. Now you-.”

“Adam?” Dean grabs her arm before she can start walking. “Adam Milligan?”

Diana doesn’t yank her arm from his hold, he's not about to hurt her and the expression on his face just feels so familiar…

“Why does it sound like you already knew?”

“We’ve met.” Is all Dean says before he drops her arm and starts walking.

“Hey,” Diana hurries to keep up with his longer stride. She caught the expression on his face; sort of guilty and angry all at the same time. “I was a total biatch. Don’t feel bad for giving the kid grief. He grows on you besides, he's probably the only one who’s gonna turn out ‘normal’ like Dad wants.”

“Right.” Dean avoids looking at her but she grabs his arm.

“You know,” Diana pulls him around to get a clear look at his face. “It’s totally weird. And I'm creeped out by this- trust me. Now, what aren't you telling me?”

“Yeah,” Dean agrees with a frown furrowing his brow. “Weirdly creepy.” He mutters but still doesn’t admit to anything. “Got no idea what you mean.”

“I'm a good liar.” Diana smiles. “Fantastic. Really, and I always know when I'm being lied to. Call it a sixth sense. What-ev.” She shrugs good-naturedly but Dean _knows_ it’s anything but. “But you … yeah, I'm not even questioning how I _know_ you are lying. So.” She drops his arm and hooks a thumb in the back pocket of her jeans. “You think that’s your best choice right now?”

There's silence between them before Dean clears his throat and he’s so totally weirded out by this whole conversation.

“Adam died 3years ago. Ghouls wanted Dad, got Adam instead.”

“Dude,” she frowns. “You guys just can't get a break.” She's counting them out on her hand. “Mom, Dad, Adam… What about our cousins? Mark, Gwen, Christian?” she can't miss the guilty uncomfortable look on his face. “What!? Anyone else? _Is_ there anyone else?”

Dean draws a breath but she doesn’t give him a chance to answer.

“You know the Harvelle’s? Pastor Jim? Rufus! And Caleb? Bobby ….?”

“Bobby’ still here.” Dean jumps in when she starts to look ready to cry, not that she doesn’t already.

“I want to see him.” Diana demands and when Dean doesn’t move she grabs his arm and drags him along “Right now!”

**W**

 

“Mom…” Sam breathes softly. “She's alive?” and the hope lighting his face puts a frown on hers. It’s just too much like looking at Diana- not that she and Sam look the same but there's something.

“Is this a freaky _OuterLimits_ episode?” she does it again, runs both hands through her hair and holds on for a second before letting the caramel locks fall. “How the hell did it do this? How’d it know? I mean we weren't -.”

“I want to see her.” Sam has that excited puppy tail wagging thing going even though he tries to contain it.

Samantha laughs. “Yeah, ‘Hey Mom? Meet your “son”. He's from an alternate reality or dimension or something’. Come on!” she glares at Sam. “Are you stupid? I can't take you anywhere near my family!”

He doesn’t miss the distinction, more separation from his and hers.

“Please- I… I want to meet her.” He takes another step towards her when she turns away from him.

“Look, I get your missing… I don't know.” She turns towards him dropping her hands with obvious frustration. “Mary Campbell is _not your_ Mom.” Her eyes narrow on Sam. “She's mine and Di’s.”

He doesn’t expect the palm shoving at his sternum. “Are you fucking kidding me?! You're giving me ‘the look’? _Me_?!!” she points an indignant finger at her chest. “I _invented_ that look!”

Sam looks sheepish and draws back from her. “What look?” he feigns ignorance.

Samantha draws in a breath, hazel eyes hard. “Dead.” The single word and tone kinda have Sam's heart stuttering with the threat. “You listening? Because they will shoot first and forget to ask questions….” she grits her teeth at the hurt coloring his features. “Look, maybe Uncle Bobby can-.”

“Bobby Singer?” and hope lights him up yet again.

“He's not in your… whatever?” Samantha feels _her_ heart clench painfully.

“No-yes, he is. I'm just… its-.”

“Weird.” Samantha interjects. “Creepy, jump in anytime.”

“Yeah,” Sam agrees. He runs a hand through his hair, expelling a breath. “Is there anyone else?”

“You wanna compare lists?” Samantha crosses her arms and leans on the door. “You start.”

“There aren't many left.” Sam hesitates because really, there's no one left and it’s safer for other Hunters to just keep their distance from them.

“Who do you know?”

“We spent a lot of time at Pastor Jim's place when we were kids. _Blue Earth…?_ ” Sam gets a nod from her. “Is he…?”

“You saying he's dead?” Samantha questions feeling her heart ache with the loss though she knows better. “Who else?” she demands at his nod.

“Caleb, Rufus,” Sam notes the recognition on her face at their names. “Ellen-.”

“The Harvelle's?!”

“And Ash.” Sam agrees gently. “The _Road House_ burned down. A lot of Hunters died.”

“What!” Samantha exclaims. She jerks into action as though it’s happening now and stops herself, because she knows they're all alive, they're all just a phone call away from reassurance that this- whatever Sam's story- is _not_ hers.

“We’ve been fighting a war…” Sam admits and he can't hide how tired he feels. Guilty as well, he's as much to blame for all the trouble hounding them as anyone. Maybe more so… hadn't it all started because of him? YED wanted him and Mary had been in the way. Jess had been a distraction until she’d also been in the way. John died saving Dean but if it hadn't been for Sam there wouldn’t have been any need. So many sacrifices, so many people hurt or dead and what for? Was the price of one really worth the pain of many?

Sam knew the answer but he was selfish enough to still want to live.

“What the hell is wrong with your side of the veil?” Samantha glares at him. “How can they all be dead? All of them….?” Because it’s not easy to believe when she knows a simple phone call can reassure her it’s not her reality. “Mom, Dad…my grandparents- any other Campbell's?”

Sam remains silent.

“Who?” she demands.

He hesitates. “Mark…” he sighs. “Dean…killed Gwen. It was a hunt-.”

“Are you shitting me? That no excuse!!” Samantha yells. “You don’t go killing off family!”

“Samuel didn’t have a problem doing that.” Sam snaps in return. It’s not all their fault. “He wasn’t too broken up about leaving us with demons-.”

“See?” Samantha jabs a finger in his direction. “There. You've got no family, apparently no allies or friends and what… I mean _demons_?” she shakes her head and once again runs both hands through her hair. “You're fighting a war-. You need to start from the beginning, Sam.” She rolls her eyes. “And that is just too damn weird.”

“Because Samantha isn't?” Sam retorts. How many times did his brother tease him by calling him that? And how is Dean dealing with Diana?

**W**

“Don act… weird.” Dean shifts in his seat trying not to look at her. _‘Sister. From an alternate reality.’_ No one would believe it.

“Shut up.” Diana gets out ignoring Dean and looks up at the house. It’s nowhere near her version-. “So, he's alone?”

Dean has no trouble hearing the sad note in her tone or even catching the emotion crossing her face.

“Didn’t Ellen ever…?” she looks to Dean hoping.

“Bobby and Ellen?” he looks surprised but he thinks about it and finally a grin spread on his features.

“They're happy.” Diana’s brow furrows in a slight frown watching him. She knows what he's thinking and that’s too weird to even go there. She turns back to the run down house. “Jo loves Bobby as much as she did her Dad.” She shakes her head. “I don’t like your version.”

“…’S the one I got.” Dean states gruffly. “Come on.” He doesn’t wait for her to follow but she's at his side. Once inside he spares her a glance but she's too busy looking around no doubt taking in the differences from her version. Dean wonders how Sam is getting on with Samantha and wants to laugh but the seriousness of the situation takes care of that.

“Bobby!” Dean yells moving through the hall way and further into the house. “Hey, Bobby!!”

“Back ‘ere!” the familiar voice is accompanied by the sight of a faded blue igloo vest and the truckers cap. “You boys get-.”

Dean glances over his shoulder and spots Diana hurrying into the kitchen, hands stuffed into the pockets of her jacket. “Uh,”

Dean clears his throat and Bobby looks from him to the girl – well, young woman- at his side wondering if Dean's decided to bring ‘home’ a fun buddy. Dean just wishes Diana would wipe off that damn grin.

“Dean.” There's no mistaking Bobby's tone or the expression that accompanies it.

“Hi.” Diana jumps in. she's trying hard not to run up and hug Bobby like she usually does. “I'm Diana Camp-.” She bites her tongue belatedly but doesn’t drop his gaze. “I'm Diana.”

“A Campbell?” Bobby grouses at Dean. “Where’s Sam?”

“We think…” Dean's glance slides over to Diana but she's still smiling at Bobby.

“With Sammy.” She notes Bobby's confused look and reminds herself this isn't _their_ Bobby. “My sister.”

Bobby takes in Dean's heavy sigh and the muttered curse, he looks at Diana and frowns wondering why the girl looks familiar and doesn’t like the feeling he's getting.

“Start explaining.” He barks.

**W**

“So…huh.” Samantha takes it in, her boot scuffing at the packed dirt floor because what the hell? “Mom makes a deal. She dies and you get some freaky mojo because of the demon.” She doesn’t hide the yuk face because having someone or something’s blood to drink is just gross not to mention unhealthy. “Dad goes psycho cus that’s… I mean you guys _live_ out of the Impala!” and she's shaking her head again because John is still driving it around. “And you're off doing your thing while Dad's still chasing that _thing_. Your girlfriend is killed same as Mom and you drop out of law school to Hunt? You guys opened the DevilsGates? And lost the Colt? _The Colt_?” she's shaking her head again because it’s just too incredible to be true. “I can’t believe it’s real.” She mutters. “Uncle Dan never even mentioned it.”

“You knew Daniel Elkins?” Sam wonders in surprise though getting the Colt would help them.

“Duh,” Samantha straightens. “We had to learn about vampires from someone. Uncle Dan would take us for the summer every year for a couple of weeks. Diana was better though…he passed away last year. Heart gave out.”

“Do you have the Colt?”

“It’s myth.” Samantha frowns at the look Sam gives her. “Hey, just because it’s in your …. whatever, doesn’t mean it’s here. All _our_ friends and family are alive.” She points out.

“Not all.” Sam reminds. She scowls.

“No one likes a smart ass, Sam.”

That gets a chuckle. “That’s something Dean would say.”

“It’s weird.” Samantha agrees. “Because you sound like Diana sometimes…. Who’s older?”

“Dean.” Sam answers. “By 4years.”

“Huh, Diana too.” Samantha frowns. “You think it’s maybe _why_ you two got switched?”

Sam shrugs. “I don’t even know what happened. We were looking for-.” He looks at her again, wondering if maybe it hasn’t been too easy to tell her pretty much everything though he's left out Ruby and Dean being the first seal or the leviathans they're trying to figure out how to kill.

“Secrets, Sam-Sam?”

“Sam- Sam?” he echoes with a slight frown.

“I'm Sammy.” She states. “You get Sam-Sam.” She grabs the door handle and pulls it hard to get the warped plank open. “We’re going to need help getting you and Di back to where you belong… its beyond our ability alone.”

“Who do you have in mind?” Sam wonders walking towards the door.

“An angel would come in handy.” She rolls her eyes. “Figgin angels!”

Sam smiles amused, he can’t help finding similarities between them that make him feel a little more at ease than he normally would in such a situation.

  **W**  



	5. Familiar Faces

“Swapped.” Bobby repeats thinking it through, trying to figure out how this happened. Hell, _why_ would be helpful! He looks at Diana carefully and gets that creepy familiar feeling all over. Her eyes are green but not the same shade as Dean's. Her hair, it’s a dark mahogany closer to Sam's shade than Dean's sandy blond. She's still shorter than either of the boys but there's something about her smile that reminds Bobby of Dean. “Well, we’re gonna have to find this witch.”

“What if we don’t?” Diana glances between them.

“Then…” Bobby looks to Dean and Diana can’t miss the silence that says they don’t want to talk in front of her.

“Hey, I know that look.” She points out. Bobby and Dean turn their attention to her. “C’mon, Uncle Bo-.” She bites her tongue at the frown marring the old Hunters face and shrugs. “Yes, weird. It’s gonna get weirder so let’s move on to what you two _weren't_ saying out loud.”

The silence between the trio lengthens but Dean finally utters a grumble before turning back to Bobby. “He probably can’t anyway.” Because Castiel hasn’t exactly been in full angel working order and with the leviathans out…. Yeah, the sooner they can get Diana back to her side and Sam where he belongs the better off everyone will be.

“Did you ask him yet?” Bobby scowls. “Or did you drive over here with your girly half swapping stories while your brothers on the other side-.” He sighs managing to sound annoyed and mildly disgusted with the thought. “Hell, idjits probably doing the same damn thing.”

Diana can’t help the laugh and her smile doesn’t dim in the least when they both scowl at her like maybe she's not taking this seriously.

“Sammy’d get a kick out of this.” Then shrugs. “She’d be royally pissed, yeah but she’d love to see this. You too.” She offers with an offhand wave at Dean.

He's so ready to get her out of his hair he bellows out “Cas!!” he's mildly pleased when she flinches at his shout. “Cas! Get your ass over here! Son of a -.” He scowls and the words are on the tip of his tongue because how many friggin times is he going to talk to Castiel about personal fucking space?

“Where did you …?” Diana looks around trying to figure out where the cute nerdy accountant in the trench coat came from.

“He's an angel.” Bobby explains just a little entertained by her reaction- or lack of one.

“Huh?” her brow furrows though her eyes skip over to Castiel and look him over once again with curiosity. Angels…they were the ones Mary had always told the girls would be watching out for them. But Diana had read the lore and she knew angels weren't pretty little cherubs you put on the Christmas tree. Angels were and had always been, warriors. Soldiers following the orders of heaven. They were the smiting and casting you out of heaven because you were a douche who dared question the way things were done or you just wanted to know ‘why’.

_‘Like a damn five year old.’_

“Ookay.” Diana shrugs then leans around to check out Castiel's back.

“I need to find Sam.” Dean frowns watching her check out the angel.

“Long story short,” Diana cuts him off in that sort of cheery tone of hers he’s finding really annoying. “We got swapped. His Sam is with my Sammy. Which is where I belong but I'm here instead.” She notices that look on all three, that glassy sort of ‘I tuned you out’ look she and Sammy get a lot from the guys. “Do I need to translate the girl speak?” she sighs.

“Where is Sam?” Castiel demands.

**W**

“Sam Winchester.” Pastor Jim repeats.

“Come on,” Sammy groans. “Can we skip the awe and weird, please?”

“Patience is-.”

“Not one of my virtues.” Samantha replies and gets a reproving look from Pastor Jim. “I'm working on it.” She pacifies.

“It’s good to see you, Pastor Jim.” Sam can’t help feeling sad. Just seeing the familiar house had brought on a melancholy that only intensified seeing Jim Murphy. They'd spent most of their life on the road and the few places that had come close to being a home had been with Bobby and Pastor Jim.

“Yeah,” Samantha grabs Sam's arm and yanks him to the nearest seat because he's just staring with those big puppy eyes and she's ready to smack him for that alone. “How do I get Diana back?”

“What were you girls doing?” Pastor Jim asks instead. “And have you both forgot-.”

“The rule on witches: asking or dealing with them- be wary. No.” she sighs. “And it’s my fault. Diana didn’t want to go but I convinced her and it wasn’t exactly a witch like your regular witch per se….”

Pastor Jim closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Diana followed you because you were going anyway. Samantha…”

“Scold me later, Pastor Jim.” Sammy begs moving to stand in front of him. “Right now I just want my sister.” Her eyes skip towards Sam. “It’s not exactly Disneyland on his side. They’ve got a shi-whole bunch of demons on their as-tails.”

Pastor Jim tries very hard to keep the reproving expression on his face but hearing her catch herself mid-curse is amusing.

“I need to get back.” Sam states with a note of urgency to his words. He's worried for Dean – leaving him alone to deal with leviathans.

“We should call Bobby. An extra set of eyes and brain is going to be helpful.” He turns to Samantha. “Your grandfather could have a way of putting things right-.”

“Nope.” Samantha shakes her head adamantly. “Grampa is not an option. No way.”

Pastor Jim just shakes his head and grabs his phone.

“Wait!” Samantha tugs on his arm. “Bobby's gonna tell Ellen and she’ll tell Mom.” Her eyes stray over to Sam still sitting where she put him. “It’s why I haven’t gone home. Not that he's happy about it.” She nods at Sam. “You know how they are. And if Di’s …”

“Girls….” Pastor Jim sighs. “I’ll ask Bobby to come here and help me with some research. In the meantime,” his eyes skip to Sam who hasn’t stopped staring at them. “Show your other self where to wash up.” He realizes that Sam probably knows where everything is considering what he's been told so far about the other reality.

“I know my way around.” Sam assures getting to his feet. “Thank you.”

“Oh please.” Samantha shoves him towards the stairs scowling. “Do you have to do ‘the look’?” she demands. “The less it’s seen, the better the effect.” She snaps. “You're screwing with the way things are done on this side.”

“Language!” Pastor Jim calls out.

“Sorry!” Samantha yells back but he can still hear her reply to Sam; “You see what you did, jerk?”

**W**

“So… Castiel.” Diana turns in her seat in order to watch the angel. “How come we haven’t met you?”

“I'm guessing your version hasn’t gone apocalyptic.” Dean replies.

“Butt out, blondie.” Diana orders. “I'm trying to have a conversation with wings over here.” She turns back to Castiel ignoring Dean's glare.

“Wings?” Castiel echoes, blue eyes searching out Dean's who ignores him.

“Well,” Diana rests her arm on the seat back, green eyes lightening enough Cas can see the gray in them. “I'm not sure cus you haven’t shown them to me but I figure, angel, so… wings. I could think up something else to call you-.”

“His name is Cas.” Dean snaps. “And _you_ don’t call him.” One idiot Winchester calling down angels is more than enough.

“So I’ll pray.” She shrugs. “Will you butt out? I'm trying to make friends here-.”

“Friends?” Dean scowls at her. “You're flirting! With an _angel_!” he points out like she can’t see that.

“Dude,” Diana straightens up, green eyes narrowed on him. “That’s Sammy’s thing.” She turns to Cas with a smile. “She’d definitely be-.”

“NO!” Dean shouts. “Not hearing this! Quit with the – the- just… no. No more … weird anecdotes.” He reaches over to the radio and flicks it on hoping there's something that’s going to drown out Diana’s idea of conversation with an angel.

“You really need to lighten up, bro.” Diana smirks and arranges herself properly in the passenger seat. She catches Castiel's eyes in the mirror and winks.

**W**

“What’s he like?” Samantha asks quietly standing in the door to the guest room. “Diana’s other half. Your brother, Dean.”

Sam chuckles. “He's annoying.” Too much time in the impala is never good for them. “He loves classic rock; ‘Led Zeppelin rules and Bon Jovi is awesome’. On occasion, according to him.” He shrugs at Sammy’s look of half amused horror.

“Sounds like Dad.” She says and Sam nods agreement.

“He's anal when it comes to the Impala. No dogs allowed and a million other dumb rules I know he makes up on the fly.”

“You guys have her?” Samantha moves into the room. “I mean, Dad drives her. Now-still.” She stops frustrated at not knowing what tense to use.

“So… he's alive.” Sam just nods. He's not asking to see him and Samantha picks up on the silent remorse and anger.

“Diana doesn’t get along with him either.” Sammy sits at the end of the bed.

“He's a stubborn, hard-headed….”

“SOB?” Sammy supplies when Sam just trails off with a heavy sigh. She nods and leans back on the metal frame of the bed. “Diana would follow him everywhere. They'd work on Baby, she-.”

“Baby?” Sam cuts in. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Samantha nods, her expression curious. “They named her. Diana…. She was 10 when Dad left. Mom never blamed him for leaving. He just couldn’t wrap his head around…the Hunting. After the war… I guess he’d had enough of the bloody side of life.” She shrugs.

“So what happened?” Sam nudges gently. He's curious about this version of what their lives could've been like.

“Nothing happened.” Samantha sat up, tucking a leg under her. “Dad… he's got normal, now. Mom just… doesn’t talk about him. I know she loves him. And Dad …” she glances around the room and lowers her voice. “He loves her. He's just too stubborn and pig-headed plus he's got the normal life with Adam and Kate. Mom's not giving up the life and it’s not like Dad's giving her a reason to want to leave us. It’s like they're both ….”

“Unwilling to give in to the other.” Sam finishes.

“Yeah,” Samantha sighs. “I shouldn’t have hit you. Before.” She shrugs. “I just thought… Dad promised. And I thought he broke it.” 

“What promise?”

“You're older than Adam and I now Diana gave Dean hell assuming that Dad had been lying to all of us and making a fool out of Mom.” She manages a little bit of a smile. “I still think, one day, they’ll work it out. And Adam… Mom was hurt. Dad made himself another family.”

“Normal.” Sam nods understanding.

“Diana won’t speak to him. She was…” another sigh and remembering just brings up how not perfect their lives are. “She broke Adam’s arm. But she didn’t mean to!” she hurries to add when Sam looks up in shock. “I swear, she was just mad and the kid wouldn’t stop sneaking out on us!” she's exasperated just remembering the trouble they had trying to keep the kid in the house. “Di set up a net. And Adam…”

“Trap?” Sam questions with surprise. “Like…Hunting?” because he can’t believe they would try that. Adam couldn’t have been that bad… could he?

“Hey, we tried everything else alright!” she exclaims. “The kid was a friggin Houdini. He's lucky we used a net and not the nares Diana wanted to set up. She was at the end of her rope with him. And he was pushing it, too.” She assures. “Uncle Dan had just taught us- never mind.” She waves off the explanation and draws a breath. “Di drove us to the emergency room where his Mom was working. Of course she _freaked_ out. I can’t blame her but she really didn’t have to accuse us of trying to kill Adam. We even tried explaining but… then Dad backed her up. That was the last straw for Di.” She shrugs. “Maybe we haven’t gone Apocalyptic on this side of the veil but this here? It’s not perfect either. We’ve got our own kraptastic drama to muddle through and way too many relatives to piss off and apologize to.”

Sam just offers a weak smile and shakes his head. Nothing is ever perfect and the grass isn't always greener on the other side but he'd give almost anything just so it wasn’t the two of them. Even if Dean never says it…doesn’t admit it… will vehemently deny it … he wants family more than anything else in the world. Even with all their problems… they both miss John.

“You two look as though some food would help the mood.” Pastor Jim says from the door.

Samantha jumps up so fast there's a slight hop to her first step. “Come on!” she calls heading out the door after Pastor Jim. “That’s code for he baked!”

“Baked?” Sam wonders as he gets up to follow them.

**W**

“Where is this place?” Dean questions as they turn up the dirt road.

“ _Lebanon, Kansas_. Didn’t you read the sign?” Diana answers distractedly. She hopes it’s still there, or at least there in this version.

“It works both ways, Di.” Dean points out because he can see that she’s anxious.

“Up there.” She points. Her frown deepens the closer they get because it looks un-used. “Stop- jeez! Lead foot, bro.” she scowls at him, both hands pressed into the dash and thankfully she didn’t hit it face first what with the sudden slam of brakes.

“You said ‘stop’.” He's defensive and unapologetic.

“Get out.” Diana sighs and quickly steps out. The creak of the Impala’s doors closing echoes along the road. She moves towards the vines and weeds growing over the entrance and starts yanking them out. Dean helps and it doesn’t take long before it’s cleared. “What the hell… what is it?”

“A door.” Diana replies taking the key from the chain around her neck. She wipes at the lock before trying the key.

“No one likes a smart ass, Diana.” Dean glares at her back.

“So you don’t have any friends?” she smirks over her shoulder at him before pushing the door open. Dean doesn’t bother with a retort because once they walk inside he's got a lot more to concern himself with.

“What is this place?” he wipes at his face disturbing the dust puffing up from the floor and the cobweb that catches in his hair. “How’d you know this was even here? _Why_ are we here?”

“Secret lair.” Diana disappears into the shadows further in, her voice echoing to him. “For the Men of Letters.” The lights come on one at time showing the large room they're in. “They're the other side of Hunters. This place,” she throws her arms wide and turns to encompass the entire building. “It’s built by them, for them, to do as much as we do. Hunt down evil and stamp it out. We’re legacies, Dean. Because of Grandpa Henry.”

“Henry who?” Dean strides across the room. “What are Men of Letters?”

“Henry Winchester.” Diana frowns. “Didn’t John tell you guys?”

“That he ran off when Dad was a kid? Sure.” Dean walks past and up the set of steps into the next room.

“He did not!” Diana protests. “I mean…” she grumbles under her breath because Henry didn’t run out on John on her side of the veil.

“Different version, remember?” Dean turns back and he's got that damn smirk.

Diana sticks her tongue out at him. It’s exactly what she’d to do Sammy and Dean actually cracks a slightly confuzzled grin. “One of these books…” she walks past him to the stack of boxes. She grabs the first one and shoves it in Dean’s arms not bothering with the dust on the lid she whips off. “There's going to be something here that will bring your Sam home and send me back.”

Dean scans the room, all the dust and the neatness of the dusty room… “Where do we start?”

**W**

Bobby still isn't comfortable with Sam around. It’s weird, catching Sam sneaking glances at Jim or saying something that Diana or even Samantha is likely to say. It’s even in the tone he uses and some of his mannerisms- it’s just too damn weird.

“Henry should know about this.”

“I'm trying to keep the family from killing him.” Sammy mutters flipping through the pages of the book in front of her.

“Who’s Henry?” Sam wonders looking from the suddenly attentive faces staring at him.

“Your grandfather.” Pastor Jim says into the silence.

“He's alive?” Sam is shocked. He’d only heard about Samuel and only then because he’d listened in on John. But Henry Winchester… that was one night John had been uncharacteristically in a sharing mood.

“He's dead in yours too?!” Sammy throws her hands up and gets up from the table. “Is Di safe with your brother?” she demands with worry.

“Dean won’t let anything happen to her. I promise.” Sam assures though he doesn’t miss the look shared between Bobby and Pastor Jim.

“Right.” Samantha snorts. “I know my sister and if Dean is anything like either of us… oh lord.” She rubs both hands over her face before running them through her caramel locks. She's wishing never having insisted on finding that witchling.

“The Men of Letters have information.” Pastor Jim assures.

“They don’t.” Samantha states dropping her hands.

“And how do you know that?” Bobby frowns, both Hunters staring at Samantha like they already know the answer and Sam wonders why that should surprise him. The girls are Winchesters and have grown up with both men the same as Dean and Sam…

“Because Di and I took it.” Sammy mutters.

“Samantha….” Pastor Jim sighs, his look and Bobby's reproving.

“How else were we supposed to find it?!” she demands in protest.

“Start talking.” Bobby orders in his gruffest voice.

 


	6. Legacy

The strained relationship between Father and son is the one regret Henry would desire to change before his final breath. John's rebellion- enlisting being the last straw-, marrying into a Hunter family… all of it, Henry had accepted but where he draws the line was ‘accepting’ John's refusal to join the Men of Letters. After years of training, teaching- he didn’t understand _why?_ Why turn away from ‘the family business’ as his son disparagingly terms it. They save lives, granted, they don’t actually _personally_ save those lives but that’s what Hunters are for. The Men Of Letters pass on the knowledge and Hunters do the heavy lifting. Each sticks to what they are good at and that’s how it has always been.

The book in front of him goes ignored. He isn't the only one in the library of the bunker-his turn yet again to keep watch. He thinks back on those strained holidays-which wouldn’t have happened if Mary hadn't insisted he be there. The sullen silence from John didn’t matter much when Samantha and Diana took up all his attention, demanding stories Henry well knew were reason enough for John to fume. Mary never denied their ‘calling’, hers or John's. The fact it never changed may have been the reason John-

“Winchester.”

Henry looks up, brow furrowing with the sight of Hunters walking into the bunker even though its not unusual it just doesn’t happen often- the reason they hadn't knocked shows itself a moment later. Without the usual exuberance and that brings Henry to his feet quicker than the stranger in their midst. A stranger that keeps drawing Henry’s eye because there's something about the mop of dark hair…

“I don’t think I’ll like what this ‘visit’ means.”

“That depends.” Bobby gruffs, flicking at his faded cap and glancing at the young man towering at his side.

“Samantha…” Henry glances to where his granddaughter has stopped short on the opposite side of the table. She's keeping her distance and that’s unusual.

Sammy sighs, her eyes drifting up to the ceiling and the beautiful art deco designs carefully preserved. The bunker is their second home; she’s spent about as much time here as she has with Mary and the Campbell's at their compound.

“I lost Diana.”

**W**

He wonders if Sam is doing okay? He wonders why it’s Sam who gets to go play in the nice sand box while he is left to pick the shit out of theirs? And then he feels bad for wishing it had been him instead of Sam. But then, Dean has always put Sam first- most of the time anyway- every single time that actually mattered, when it counted and Dean takes the krap that comes of it. He stares at the plain gray ceiling, digs his shoulders into the mattress and wiggles himself into a sort of comfortable position but that stab of guilt won’t leave him alone because Sam is lost somewhere in the better version of their lives.

“Can't sleep?” Diana walks in without bothering to knock at his door. “Figures.” She strides across the room in her flannel pajama pants and black tank top, her hair threaded into a braid that hangs past her hips. “Scooch it, dude.” She smacks his legs hard as she orders and plops on the foot of his bed.

“What the hell…” Dean scowls pulling his leg out of her reach and scooting up on the bed so he sits with his back against the headboard. “No one taught you-.”

“How to knock?” Diana finishes with him. She smirks. “Some manners just,” she shrugs her shoulder carelessly. “Slip my mind at times.”

Dean snorts, eyes narrowing but the smile on her face is a bit strained. He knows she gets a kick out of messing with him- of course it still creeps him out, the resemblance to Sam and then himself… its just too damn weird no matter what.

“You remind me of my sister.” Diana says into the silence that stretches between them. “And me. Sometimes.”

“It screws with my head too.” Dean assures. He leans forward, resting his arm on his raised knee. “You're going home, Diana. We’ll figure this out- find the witchling, whatever.”

Diana chuckles. “Dude,” she shakes her head like he's making lame ass jokes. “Can we stop pretending now?”

Dean frowns, sits back like the extra space will offer him some sort of protection from the weirdo girl version of himself.

“This,” she circles a finger at her face. “Is a big fat open book and we both know it.”

“Doesn’t mean I'm not getting you home.” Dean gruffs with something like defensiveness coloring his tone and in his expression.

“Doesn’t mean I can't see your bullshit.” Diana sighs. She flops sideways across the foot of the bed and stares at the ceiling. “Brother.” She sort of smiles, her eyes sliding towards him. “I used to want one. A brother…” she looks away, but Diana is right. Dean can still read her expression.

“Adam…” he clears his throat and just stares at the alternate version of himself- which is weird enough.

“Adam.” Diana breathes softly. “I haven’t spoken to him since I broke his arm.”

“You what?!” Dean exclaims. It barely draws her attention.

“Its not like I was trying to kill him.” She shrugs again- he notices she does it a lot, especially when she is uncomfortable with a topic.

“I think you better start from the beginning.” Dean orders in his best big-brother voice. Diana doesn’t seem affected by it but she does tell him about the last attempt either girl made at babysitting their half-brother who seemed to get a kick out sneaking away from them.

“He got caught in the rope, bent his arm the wrong way and the fall didn’t help but he was screaming bloody murder and I panicked.” She glances at Dean where he sits listening to her story. “Cut him down and dropped him on that arm. It snapped clean. He passed out… his Mom was at the emergency room. Late shift, which is why we’d volunteered to babysit.”

“Where was Dad?” Dean cuts in.

“Working.” Diana frowns. “Always working. Looking for his next toy. Another car to restore and auction off… He did it to piss off Pop.”

“Henry?” Dean frowns. “Wait, Dad restores cars?” its so far out of the norm for the man Dean knows. Maybe at one time, before the supernatural tore their lives apart, that had been something John Winchester would have done…

“He doesn’t Hunt.” Diana scoffs rolling onto her side to face him. “He's done everything to deny his legacy- he would've kept us from becoming Women of Letters but Mom gave us a choice. If it wasn’t for her, we’d never have met Pop or learned anything. She gave us a chance to be ourselves- whatever we chose.”

He nods, like its exactly what his Mom would do though he can barely remember the woman that gave him life.

“I think… I think she’d be proud of you.” Diana’s soft voice draws his eyes to hers. “She's real big on taking care of your sibling.”

“Yeah,” Dean cracks a smile. “So was Dad.”

**W**

Sam spends most of his day in the library with Henry, Pastor Jim and sometimes Bobby. He hasn’t seen Samantha since she got scolded for taking a book that was never supposed to leave the Bunker in the first place and then for going on a Hunt that Diana had been smart enough to know wasn’t good for them and yet dumb enough to go along with her sister. That’s when Sam saw the similarity- partially.

“Any luck?”

Sam turns quickly, a smile on his face seeing Samantha framed in the doorway of the archives room he's found a bit more interesting. And quiet.

“Yeah, nice to see me too.” Samantha waves aside his unspoken reply and strides towards him. “Lets get to the part where you tell me how I'm sending you back to where you belong.”

“Uh,” Sam stammers, a little annoyed by her attitude. “No luck.”

“It’s been a week!” Samantha exclaims throwing her arms up. “How the hell don’t you have an answer yet?”

“Language, Samantha Winchester.”

“Son of …” Samantha bites her lip cursing under her voice and glaring up at Sam. “You saw him, didn’t you?” she hisses.

“How is it my fault?” Sam demands frowning.

“Your Mother -.”

“Is going to scold me. Yes, but I really don’t care anymore. I just want to get Diana back.” Samantha rattled off quickly. She doesn’t wait for what either of them has to say and hurries out of the room.

“Wait!” Sam calls after her. He ignores Pastor Jim leaving him in the archive room alone.

“Lord,” Pastor Jim breathes. “Please help them.”

**W**

“He’s calling for you.” A slim, pale finger lightly brushes at the silk jacket, removing imaginary lint. Not that it would dare settle on his person let alone his suit.

“Who is?” Aziraphale looks up from his book, blinking his fallen friend into focus.

“The mortal.” Crowley says with a finger pointed to the empty tea pot. “Its empty. Again.”

“It’s a simple thing to fill it with some water and put it to boil.” Aziraphale points out. But he gets up and takes the pot the stove, preparing for another pot of tea.

“How they still pray to HIM is … adorable. Do they even know HE’s not listening at the moment?” Crowley picks at the scone on the plate, crumbling it between his fingers.

“Our Father listens to all prayers.” Aziraphale states with confidence.

“But when did you see HIM?” Crowley pounces.

“I…” Aziraphale frowns, his eyes straying to the window and the view of London. “There's a reason for all of this, Crowley. We aren't to interfere with the ineffable plan.” He assures turning his back to the window.

“We never do, my friend.” Crowley assures but his smile makes Aziraphale uncomfortable.

“No, Crowley.” Aziraphale warns but the smile on the demons face only grows. “NO.” he tries again, more sternly but without his flaming sword there's a decided lack of … ‘umph’.

“A nudge won’t hurt anyone.” Crowley promises. “They’ll still have to make their own choices. It’s not anything we haven’t done before, my friend.”

Aziraphale shakes his head. “That was different.”

**W**

Diana is focused on breathing and keeping her balance. Something she's not usually able to accomplish in the Bunker because of its constant traffic. But it’s only been Dean and her the past week…

Dean drops his plate of food, choking on the bite of his burrito seeing Diana doing a handstand on the railing overlooking the main room of the Bunker. He gags, smacking at his chest and running towards the staircase when she starts leaning the wrong way.

“Oh krap!” Diana exclaims as she goes over the wrong side trying not to kick her feet and still keep her grip on the railing. “Shit!” she's only got one hand- a finger grip really-

“Diana!” Dean trips on the fourth step from the top landing, cursing the pain as his shin impacts with the floor and hauls himself to the top using the railing.

“I swear!” she scrambles for the railing. “Dean, you dumb as-!” Diana makes a last ditch effort to grab at something but her fingers just grab at air.

“NO!” Dean leans over the side not at all ready to see the mess she's going to paint on the marble floors, his heart caught in his throat …… “Cas?”

“You should be more careful.” Castiel states. His blue eyes drift from Diana’s hazel up to Dean’s green and back.

“Talk to your friend up there with the big mouth.” Diana points at Dean with a huff and slight glare at her other-me.

“Me?” Dean scowls down at them. Diana looking quite comfortable in the angel’s arms. “Put her down!” he orders with a finger pointed at the angel.

“Why?” Diana wraps her arm around Castiel's shoulders, frowning up at Dean. “He caught me fair and square.” And she can see right away by the tightening of his lips that it’s working; annoying him.

“Now.” Dean pushes away from the railing and starts down the stairs. “What the hell are you doing up here?” he demands stomping down the marble steps. “You almost made a Van Gogh on the floor.” He snaps.

“Ooh, you finally reading up on art, Dean?” Diana teases. She's heard about Sam and his almost Stanford education but it was like pulling teeth with Dean and then complete shut down any time Diana tries to get Dean to talk about himself without linking himself to Sam in some way. “He lost the last 3 sparring matches.” She tells Castiel whose eyes jump back and forth between them.

“I am aware.” Castiel states.

Dean's eyes narrow at the implication the angel has been around spying on them even though Diana says the Bunker is warded against all supernatural things.

Castiel turns to Dean who hasn’t stopped glaring at them. “You are wasting time. Sam must return-.”

“Put her down.” Dean interrupts.

Castiel does so; seemingly having forgotten that he was still holding Diana in his arms. “You should be careful.” He tells her before turning to Dean.

“Whoa,” Diana protests. “I was careful. Its Dean’s fault!”

“My fault!?” Dean exclaims. “Did I put you up there?”

“Did you have to make such a racket?” Diana retorts with her hands on her hips.

“I -!”

“Enough.” Castiel calls with his ‘wrathful’ tone. Both Winchesters quiet down and turn to him. “That is better.”

“Angel or not, Cassie.” Diana narrows her eyes on him. “I don’t like being ordered. You want me to do something? All you have to do is ask me.”

Dean scoffs, rolling his eyes. From his experience with his other-me, asking Diana to do anything she doesn’t want to do or feels like doing only earns a lot of sass and lip.

“You're gonna eat marble, Dean.” Diana promises and she's already come through twice so he knows it’s not an idle threat.

“You fight dirty.” Dean states, he's embarrassed a ‘girl’ beat him in a fight and its little consolation that said girl is _him_ from another reality- she's still a girl!

“Duh.” Diana rolls her eyes.  She turns to Castiel. “How else are you supposed to stay alive when the other dude’s bigger than you are?”

“She is correct.” Castiel agrees much to Dean’s displeasure.

“Did you drop in for something?” Dean demands.

“Yes.” Castiel answers.

Both Winchesters stand waiting to hear what that reason is but Castiel doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to spill the beans.

“And?” Diana prompts when Cas looks comfortable just standing with them.

“The Leviathans are planning something.”


	7. Temper, Temper...

“No way.” Samantha shakes her head, arms crossed over her chest and the same stubborn pout from the time she was old enough to understand what ‘No’ could get her, on her face.

“What's the big deal?” Sam demands.

Henry and Bobby watching them both are taken aback by the similarity in both versions of their ‘kid’.

“Uncanny.” Henry utters under his breath.

“Uh-huh.” Bobby agrees wearing a soft scowl on his face.

“Big deal?” Samantha scowls. “If you're ‘on the road’,” she mocks using air quotes. “You aren't looking for the answer on how to get your big ass home! That’s the big fucking deal, Sam!”

“She's gonna hit the idjit.” Bobby warns.

“He’ll be fine.” Henry assures. Neither man makes a move to cut into the argument. “He’s big.”’

“Don’t mean she can't knock him on ‘is ass.” Bobby gruffs under his breath.

“I'm not deaf, you know.” Samantha turns on them, visibly lowers her voice and moderates her tone to something close to respectful. “I can hear you guys. And I'm not taking him anywhere.”

“It’s not like something is after me.” Sam huffs. Which is actually nice for a change- not having to look over his shoulder and worry about what evil thing is going to come out of the shadows to try and kill him.

Or Dean.

“Yet.” Samantha snaps at him. “By your own account, the krap that follows you and your brother-.”

“Doesn’t exist here.” Sam cuts in. “You're as stubborn and pigheaded as Dean!” he snaps showing his own frustration.

“Well neither of us is as whiny as you so you must have gotten that-.”

“Whiny?!”

“Oh, did I stutter?” Samantha steps into him, her fist smacking at his chest. “Whiny, selfish, jerk.”

“What?!”

“You want more?” Samantha threatens. “I heard enough and that selfish streak takes a whole new level. Half the shit you pull on Dean I wouldn’t even consider doing to Diana. Nor would she try it on me. You think I want to be stuck with you? Ha!”

“Samantha!” Henry finally jumps in. His disapproving, stern expression effectively cut whatever words she's about to toss out at her boy-half. “You've said quite enough, young lady.”

“Come on.” Bobby snags Sam's sleeve and starts for the doors. “You both need a time out.”

“Yeah,” Sam stomps out of the Bunker with Bobby hurrying to catch up and grumbling about how it’s usually not so difficult to keep up with the girls and their way shorter stride. “What the hell is her problem?” Sam demands once they step onto the dirt road. “I didn’t ask for this. Hell, I’d be -.” Sam stops. His scowl turns away from Bobby and locks on the tree line.

Where the hell would he be?

With Dean.

That’s a given. But what would they be doing? Chasing down leviathans. Looking for clues- any answer, just something that can help them stay afloat. He's been trying to find that in the Bunker without success and you'd think that in all those books there would be someone who at least wrote a sentence that somehow includes ‘to kill a leviathan’.

“Be …?” Bobby urges. But Sam stubbornly refuses to say anything. “Home?” he tries again because that’s the one thing the girls haven’t had to worry about ever. They have more than one, and plenty of family. A very significant difference and Bobby is happy that his girls haven’t had to live the life their other-me’s have lived.

Sam snorts. “We don’t have a home.”

**W**

Henry gently turns Samantha until she faces him. She's holding back tears but the clenched hands give her away. He's seen this side of her before, when it was John leaving that she didn’t understand and then again when Adam was born and it became a reality that Samantha's dream of having her family one again would not come true.

“I know you're concerned for Diana.”

“It’s been three weeks, Pop.” Samantha spits past her teeth. “Mom-.” The first tear falls and she hastily raises a hand to wipe it away like it never was. She's not about to cry, to show any weakness or allow despair to win because somehow, someway, she _will_ get her sister back. _‘I'm going to make this right.’_

“I understand why you don’t want to tell your Mother. No news sometimes _is_ better than bad news. But,” Henry sighs. “Samantha, you can't take out your worry on Sam. He's out of time as well. He doesn’t belong here anymore than Di belongs over there.”

“I know that.” She stamps her foot which brings a ghost of a smile to Henry's mouth. “I know, but taking that dumb ass on the road -.”

“He needs it, Sammy.” Henry rests both hands on her leather-clad shoulders. “Being cooped up here… you remember what that was like.”

She rolls her eyes, hating the reminder and the fact that Henry is – as always – right.

“Spend a few days at The Road House with Bobby, Ellen and Joanna Beth.” Henry orders in his best ‘I'm not giving you an order voice but just do as you're asked’. He knows the girls don’t like half the stuff he asks them to do but they do it anyway.

After a fashion.

Henry knows they do as he asks because they love him.

**W**

They’ve been riding in silence the past four hours with nothing but the radio playing the same Zepp tape.

“Enough.” Diana pops it out of the player and tosses it to the backseat.

“Hey!” Dean protests, and the grab he makes for the tape as it sails into the back earns a smack.

“Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, dumb ass.” Diana scowls. “You think I want to die this gorgeous.”

Dean is taken aback by the comment very much something he'd say to Sam knowing how it would annoy his brother.

“All of this,” Diana waves a hand over herself, all 5’3” of slim, mahogany waves of silky long hair and gray-green eyes. “Deserves to be appreciated a whole lot by an equally gorgeous man.”

“Oh.” Dean scrunches his eyes at the image she's putting in his head. “God. No.”

Diana laughs but after that short burst of energy, once again there's not much conversation going on the way to Bobby's house. The fact he hasn't answered any of Dean’s calls the past hour have him speeding down the highway like the hounds of hell are on his ass.

 _‘Uhh… bad analogy.’_ Diana frowns out the windshield.

“So.”

Dean rolls his eyes, uttering a heavy sigh under his breath. “Can you just shut _up._ ”

“What crawled up your ass?” Diana huffs with annoyance. “And _died_.” She adds when Dean opens his mouth to reply.

“You know what?” Dean starts because he's had enough of her and the smart ass remarks and the – the – the _innuendoes_ – it’s like she does it on purpose! And always about Cas! It’s like she knows about the damn freaky slash fics; _‘Destiel.’_

“I know lots of things, Dean.” She smirks. She wants to laugh when he flinches. “I graduated top of my class. Language major.” She winks. “Нејзините забавно да одиме на нерви на ебам од тебе.”

“What?” Dean frowns.

“Καταλαβαίνω γιατί Samantha αρέσει.”

“What the hell did you say?”

“その本当の素敵は突き棒あなたにこのくらいのことができるということ。”

“Alright, enough.” Dean orders.

“You gonna come out of that funk now?” Diana doesn’t look as though she’ll get tired of ‘poking the bear’. “Look, you've been a grumpy bitch and while I definitely want to get my cute ass home in one piece that’s not gonna happen without the witchling. So.” She tucks her leg under and uses the door as a backrest. “How ‘bout 20Questions while your lead foot breaks the speed limit. Awesome. I’ll go first.” She smiles not giving Dean a chance to respond.

And that’s how it’s been the past week. Dean moody and silent. Diana forcing herself to be upbeat and cheery to hide her own fear of actually being stuck in his sand box.

**W**

It hasn’t changed at all. The same faded sign above the wooden slats darkened with age and the elements -.

“Home sweet home!” Samantha calls to the Road House. She slams the van door closed and heads into the bar without a backwards glance. Not that she's said much to him during the ride because Samantha has taken to ignoring him.

“Well, come on.” Bobby heads towards the building wondering why he ever listens to Henry Winchester.

Sam's eyes skim the inside of the Road House, finding everything just the same as his version – only still intact.

“Robert Singer.” Ellen smiles, hand resting on her hip while she crooks a finger at Bobby. “You're late.”

“You can blame it on the Winchesters.” Bobby replies, accepting a kiss from his wife.

“Which one?” Ellen retorts. She looks around, her eyes resting on Sam a little too long before moving on. “And Diana?”

“She- uh- she’s…” Sam struggles to find words, his eyes skipping to Samantha still ignoring him and he knows he's fidgeting too much it isn't making them suspicious.

“Some help over here!”

Sam is relieved. He hurries over and takes the three boxes of beer from Jo who gapes up at him, surprised.

“Hi.” Jo smiles. “Thanks. I couldn’t see over the top. Put ‘em here.” She waves towards the bar where Samantha has taken a seat at the far end.

“Jo-.” She starts hoping that an introduction will head off more questions, though she doubt they’ll be that lucky.

“Hey,” Ash strides over from the pool table.  His eyes studying Sam a little too closely. “Do I know you?”

Samantha snorts, shakes her head but Ellen adds her own observations, glancing between the pair as if she's figured it out.

“Yeah, you look a lot like John Winchester.” Ash grins, nodding his mullet.

The startled look on Sam's face puts a scowl on Samantha's. Not to mention the screaming silence coming from Bobby.

“John Winchester…?” Ellen's eyes narrow on Sam.

“Oh you-!” Samantha jumps to her feet and strides over to Sam. She knows exactly what Ellen is thinking because it was her first thought upon hearing Sam say his full name. “Sure, you have no problem using my ‘look’ but to make up a lie on the spot and you stutter worse than a mooning teenage geek.” She looks at him with disgust. “Mathleet.”

Sam frowns. She manages to make it sound dirty.

“Alright.” Ellen pulls herself to her full height and looks at the assembled group. “What the hell is going on?

“This is Sam.” Bobby sighs but he knew it wasn’t going to take Ellen long to see what Henry, Pastor Jim and the few Men Of Letters stationed at the Bunker saw when Sam and Samantha were in the same room. They somehow synced up. It was weird. “The alternate version of Samantha.”

The silence in the bar lasts about the length of three heartbeats before Ash breaks it with a “Cool!”

Ellen is doubtful. And she has no hesitation in voicing her concerns.

“Not cool. I got him,” she hooks her thumb at Sam. “Instead of Di.”

“What?!” Ellen exclaims. She's watched both girls grow, summers spent with her and Bobby at the Road House or the Yard. Jo visiting with them while Bobby and Ellen both went on Hunts. All three girls training together- like sisters. If something happened to either of them… “Where’s your sister?”

“Calm down.” Bobby orders with little effect because he's ignored.

“Does Mary know?” Ellen demands of them both.

“No!” Samantha quickly jumps in. “We are not telling Mom”

“Your Mother is going to be worried-.”

“That’s why we’re not saying anything.” Bobby repeats.

“Robert Singer.” Ellen warns.

“You find this funny?” Jo watches the wistfully amused expression freeze on Sam's face. The last time he saw the Harvelle's they blew up a hardware store and died.

Because of him.

All the krap that’s come to them has been because of Sam in some way.

“Uh- No.” he shakes his head, well aware of how they can take the smile on his face just seeing them all again. “Not at all. Its juts…”

“He's been geeking out.” Samantha states rolling her eyes. Sam glances at her wondering why she's coming to his rescue. “Apparently everyone in _his_ sand box is dead.”

“Oh… God- Diana!” Ellen gasps.

“Is fine.” Sam quickly assures. “She's with Dean. My brother.” Is quickly tacked on because Ellen gives him that familiar look- or rather the one she gave Dean whenever he got ‘funny’ ideas about Jo.

“Diana’s other version.” Samantha explains. “We got our boy-selves. Woo-hoo.” She pumps her fists in the air sarcastically as she heads back to the bar. “Awesome.” She grabs a beer from the boxes on the counter and twists off the cap.

“Brother.” Jo nudges Sam's side. “What's he look like? This boy version of Di.” She looks at Sam, studying his face and finding similar features but most of all; “You're eyes match.”

Sam pulls out his cell phone and quickly scrolls to a current picture of Dean laying on the hood of the Impala- unaware of Sam taking his picture.

Jo takes the cell phone and scrolls through the rest of the pictures without asking his ok and laughing halfway through. “Hey,” she grins looking up at Samantha. “They are so like you two.” She holds up the phone for Ellen to see the prank pics of the brothers.

Samantha hops off the stool and stalks over to Ash. She grabs his arm and glares over her shoulder at Sam. “Come on.” Ash stumbles alongside her, shrugging a shoulder to a scowling Ellen. “I've got some stuff for you.”

“Quit supplying his pot! Samantha!” Ellen yells to the retreating pair.

“Pot?” Sam echoes. He looks to where the side door slams shut. He worries that her version of Ash might be sick-

“Recreational.” Jo assures noticing the look on his face. “He's not dying or anything.”

“Unbelievably.” Bobby grumbles. “It actually helps him focus.”

Ellen huffs, scowls at the door and shakes her head. “If it’s going to help get Diana back here-.”

“Please, Mom.” Jo rolls her eyes. “Hunting you're okay with. I mean, kill a monster, sure. But don’t smoke out, cus that’s bad.”

“Alright you two.” Bobby steps in before the Harvelle women really get started. “Jo, take this one-.” He glances at Sam and away quickly- uncomfortable with the wounded puppy look he's seen too many times on Samantha. “Just take him.”

“Don’t gotta ask me twice.” Jo quickly drags Sam towards the back of the bar.

“Oh lord- NO sleep overs!” Ellen yells after them.

“They're old enough to know what's what, woman.” Bobby grabs her arm when Ellen starts after Jo and stops her.

“She's liable to do him just to piss me off, Bobby!” Ellen exclaims.

“Wouldn’t take much.” Bobby agrees.

“And what does that mean?” Ellen turns her body towards Bobby, all her attention focused on her husband.

“Means you two got each other’s number.” Bobby engages without hesitation. “And you're not calling Mary.” He warns. “Or the Campbell's- any of ‘em.”

Ellen opens her mouth but she closes it without uttering a word. She scowls at Bobby but he doesn’t cower easily. “Fine.” She agrees but Bobby never said anything about calling John.

**W**

Crowley tried to make nice with that … _thing_. It wasn’t going to make any difference, a Leviathan wasn’t going to like him; fallen ‘angel’ though technically he sort of … wandered out of … well it was just to see what all the fuss was about, really. Crowley never _actually_ really fell out of it anywhere. It’s all about perspective- depended on the individual’s point of view, really.

He mainly put himself in that car just to annoy it, the Dick Roman Leviathan. Even if Aziraphale doesn’t want either of them to interfere in the plan.

“That infernal ‘ineffable plan’.” He sighs under his breath. But its Crowley’s job to bring evil to the masses and he's done so in many miniscule ways since … uh … well, a very long time now. The problem with this century, or rather, with the last few decades, (30) to be exact, is the Winchesters.

“Zira…” Crowley drops into the leather chair that creaks comfortably with his weight. He can drop the U.S. version and revert to his usual silk suited, glowing eyes and slightly snakey mannerisms. “You have anything to drink?” he stared down at his feet, wiggling his toes so the whole leather shifted- each scale seeming to mold around his toes. Just a trick of the eyes perhaps?

“I've put on a pot.” Aziraphale replies as he turns from the bookshelf where he’s looking through the collection of Infamous Bibles he'd collected over the years. “You seem rather morose today.”

Crowley shrugs. “I've had that meet with the Leviathan.” He looks up, brow furrowed, annoyance clear on his face and voice. “They’ve mucked it up this time, Zira. Leviathans?” he shakes his head. “I didn’t think he had it in him, really.”

“Do you remember I once told you-.”

Crowley sighs resting his head on the leather of his chair. “That conversation on ‘free will’, ‘ineffability’, genetics maybe?”

“It’s all the same conversation in the end, isn't it?” Aziraphale took the empty leather chair across from Crowley. “We are here once more. This time they’ve managed to thwart the Final Test. They did come very close to the end but it seems these are determined to circumvent the ineffable plan.”

“And what of Castiel?” Crowley crosses his legs, hands laid on his knees. He doesn’t even want to talk about how the Winchester let Lucifer walk free but happily it was only a short visit.

Aziraphale sighs, casting his eyes on the planks of dark wood beneath his feet. “My young brother… he's been influenced by these young ones.”

“But you're not supposed to disobey.” Crowley points out. “You said so yourself. Of course,” he sighs resting his head on the chair once again. “Cas did spend quite some time with the Winchesters.” He peeks at Aziraphale from the corner of his eye. “They were bound to rub off on him, especially the older one. Dean.”

Aziraphale shakes his head. “The Leviathans were your idea.” He points out.

“Mine.” Crowley has to agree because he certainly did ‘tempt’.

“You’ll admit,” Aziraphale continues. “You are good at tempting.”

“And you will admit that I did say they don’t have to say yes.” Crowley points out. “It’s the ineffable bit. You said it yourself and you aren't allowed to disobey.”

So he still doesn’t understand why Castiel did when he’d been following his orders- albeit reluctantly- from the start.

“He pulled the idiot out of Hell, Zira!” Crowley exclaims getting to his feet. “Do you realize how close it all came to being finished?”

“Of course I do.” Aziraphale rose as well. “Its what he was told to do and angels do not disobey.”

“Sure.” Crowley huffs. “You do remember big brother _Satan_.”

Aziraphale just sets the newly poured tea in the cup by Crowley’s chair.

**W**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Translations-  
> Macedonian-It’s fun to annoy the fuck out of you.   
> Greek-I get why Samantha likes it.  
> Japanese-That it’s real nice being able to goad you this much.


	8. Got Me Wrong

The sight of the farmhouse glowing and smoldering in the dead of night is like a lead weight in the pit of Dean's stomach. The Impala skids to a stop in the gravel of the driveway and both jump out of the shiny black beast.

“Bobby!”

“Shut your yap!” Diana hisses in a harsh whisper. “You don’t know what's still around.” She hurries around the front of the Impala and grabs his arm. “Dean!”

“Either help look for him or sit your ass in the car.” Dean orders before moving towards the junk yard.

“Son of a … damn it.” Diana stomps her foot in the gravel and scowls after him. It’s not like she's not worried about Bobby. Looking up at what's left of the burned husk that used to be Bobby's house, Diana doesn’t want to imagine the worst but it certainly looks as though Dean and Sam just lost another member of ‘Team Free Will’.

“Fine.” Diana turns towards the house, the gun tucked at her waist slips easily into her hand. Dean's bitching about her ‘extra baggage’ is going to come in handy when he finds himself in need of iron rounds or silver bullets. Especially Men Of Letters bullets, but she's going to wait until he asks before offering him an extra clip with some choice words for that bitching he was doing. Then she wonders if she's just as bitchy with her sister as she's noticed Dean can be?

 _‘That would_ suck. _’_

The first step onto the smoldering porch crumbles under her boot. Diana stumbles, catches herself and decides walking along the dirt path around the house would be smarter. There's no glass in the windows, the empty holes no longer spew black clouds of smoke like she imagines they had done. A sheen of perspiration coats her face because the house still emits heat. She doesn’t see anything that says this is an accident nor that it’s been done on purpose. The outside is clean and that’s just not comforting at all. There's also no sign of Bobby.

“Damn.” Diana mutters as she completes her turn around the house. She's standing by the impala looking around but now there's no sign of Dean either. “Now what?” she looks around again before heading towards the yard. She's tempted to call out to Castiel but the last few times the angel came around he was off somehow. Diana might have assumed it was part of the angels normal behavior except that Dean couldn’t hide the concern. She's well aware they are all _not_ saying things in her presence about what's going on. Now Diana wonders if that’s the reason for the husk of Bobby's house.

 _‘As soon as we find Uncle Bobby, I'm getting some fucking answers. Enough with playing dumb blond.’_ Diana vows.

The closer she gets to the yard, the easier it is to pick up Dean's voice. There's something else about her other half that weirds her out; aside from being able to look at his face and know what he's thinking, noticing the droop in his shoulders or an inflection in his voice- its friggin unsettling but right now she can hear Dean and he's in pain.

**W**

John is mad. He got a call from Ellen, another of Mary's friends he hadn't thought could be a danger to his family considering she kept Hunting confined to handing out cases to other Hunters. But hearing about Diana missing- lost on a Hunt… What the hell had he been thinking to leave his girls with that kind of family?

John is mad at Henry too because he has to be aware, he had to have been the first one Samantha went to. Because Henry taught his girls and then accepted them as Women of Letters. And Mary … because she allows them to Hunt in the first place.

 _‘Family business my ass!’_ John knows his girls never had a chance of living normal – not when Men Of Letters were on one side of the family tree and Hunters on the other.

Maybe if John had taken the girls with him from the very first…

Maybe if they had gotten to know Karen…

If they'd had a chance to live in a _normal_ household…

Without Hunting.

Without Men Of Letters.

Maybe it would have been easier for the girls to adjust and accept Karen …

**W**

_“You can't live their lives for them, son.” Henry tries to put his hand on John's arm but he draws back._

_“This isn't a life!” John is angry. He's lost Mary to Hunting. He's losing his girls and Henry is helping take away the family John has worked so hard to keep together. “All this shit you and Mary have put in their heads- why couldn’t you let them be normal girls?”_

_Henry knows the real question here is not only about the girls. He's disappointed John refused to take his place among the Men Of Letters, denied his legacy…  “This is normal.”_

_“No!” John yells. “This…?” he doesn’t need to say anything else for his Father to see what John really thinks about the life his girls will be raised in._

**W**

Diana shoots at the man threatening Dean, quickening her pace towards them. She chooses to ignore Dean's yelled orders for her to run.

_Pfft! Right, because that’s what a Campbell does, ha!_

“You can't kill it with bullets!” Dean yells as the leviathan turns towards her.

“Fine.” Diana holsters her gun and takes the spelled dagger tucked in the sleeve of her jacket. It lunges right at her barely snagging at the back of her jacket when she slips beneath its reach and drags the blade across its side, running the tip up along its ribs. She turns, now standing between it and Dean when the ‘man’ faces her again. Its smiles, its mouth opening wider and wider until it shows rows of jagged teeth.

Diana gasps, shocked by the human looking shark that apparently has no need of water to survive. She back pedals – the dagger held pointed menacingly between them. “Krap!” she yelps jumping a good foot away from the car smashing it like a pancake. “Hey!” she whirls to face Dean. “I'm standing _right_ here.” As emphasis, she jabs the dagger point down towards the ground.

“And I just saved your ass.” Dean retorts, face twisting in pain and covered with bloody sweat.

“And what world are you dreaming that in?” she demands. Her eyes wander over him assessing the obvious damage as she walks towards him, cleaning the black goop from her blade before tucking it back into its sheath. “Look at you,” she practically tisks at him like you would a child who’d gotten his clothes dirty after you told them _not_ to get dirty.

Dean winces when Diana kneels at his side and gently probes his leg. She's careful not to exacerbate his injuries though concern is written all over her face.

“I'm fine.” He grimaces while restraining the urge to smack her hands away.

“Right.” Diana’s dark gray-green eyes narrow on him. “You see the bone sticking out of your leg?” she points. “That’s normal.” The heavy sarcasm comes with annoyance and a healthy dose of worry masking fear. She looks around because Dean's too heavy for her to carry back to the Impala and she doesn’t want to leave Dean alone while she runs over to the Impala and drives it over to get him in the back seat. What if there's another human shark lurking in the dark? It’s not like there's another car ready to fall out of the sky to squash it under.

“I can get -.”

“Save it.” Diana cuts him off firmly. “I’ll make you a splint.” She gets up to do that, searching for anything that’s not coated in rust or liable to cause infection but it’s a junk yard…

“We gotta go.” Dean insists. “It’s not safe here.”

“Feel free _not_ to point out the obvious.” Diana replies with her back to Dean. “Sammy does that too and it’s equally annoying coming from you. I mean, I'm not _that_ blond!” she straightens up with two bars of about the same length and heads back to Dean. “And just because my hair gets lighter in the summer- it’s still not blond. It’s more like a caramel color- like Sam's. I do like the natural highlights, sort of this copper and bronze, you know?” she spares Dean a perfunctory smile and catches his expression; a combination of annoyance and disbelief. “What? Your hair is lighter than mine.” She points out as she sets the bars on the ground.

Dean just scowls.

“Let’s splint you.” Diana grabs her belt.

**W**

“I can climb a damn tree on my own.” Samantha snaps even as she's reaching for the cat stuck in the branches above her head.

Down below, her boy-half is frowning up with his hands sort of raised as if he's ready to catch her though there's a strong urge not to. “Just let me help, Samantha.” And then he makes a yuk face because he's reminded once again of Dean teasing him.

And it’s still weird.

“Take a walk.” Samantha orders. “You little -!” she sucks in a breath and makes a last grab at the cat ignoring the scratch and the claws digging into her wrist. “You little beast! Ouch!!”

It makes a fast escape and scrambles to a higher branch almost falling out of the tree in its haste.

“Damn it!” she glares down at Sam. “You're scaring it.”

“Right.” Sam scoffs. He's getting used to being blamed for everything where Samantha is concerned.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me.” She scowls. “You're the one who volunteered for the cat rescue.” She glares up at the snowy ball of fur clinging to its branch. “I hate cats.”

“Then why did you climb up there?” Sam wonders dropping his hands and blowing out a frustrated breath.

“Listen Sasquatch.” Samantha pauses just long enough to gain another foothold and pull herself up the tree close enough to the cat. “Your big ass is too damn heavy for this job.”

Sam is taken aback by the ‘insult’. “It’s weird how you remind me of Dean.” He tells her dropping his arms.

“Ditto.” Samantha agrees. “But you're more of a girl than Diana ever was. You do get whiny, Sam.” She grabs another branch and stares down the swaying ball of fur. “Seriously, come here you shitty little fur ball.” She orders.

“Whiny?” Sam echoes. He's deciding Samantha can fall on her ass…

“You're like the poster child for the emo freaks. Or spoiled bratty 2 year olds.” Samantha makes another grab for the cat just as it topples off its branch. “Victory!” she chortles and holds it by the scruff.

“Are you normally such a bitch?” Sam demands glaring up at her.

“I get worse on my period.” Samantha replies just as she tosses the cat, claws flailing, into Sam's hands. Sam's ‘gross’ face turns into one of pain as the cat digs its claws into his skin.

Jo's laughter draws his attention from Samantha who drops down a branch then swings off the bottom branch now that she doesn’t have the cat to worry about.

“Even Sammy can't stand herself.” Jo says.

**W**

Diana has a sullen boy-half laid out in the back seat of the Impala. She drugged him, which is why there's been blessed silence the past four hours. She kinda regrets sneaking the pain meds into his coffee because without Dean's bitching about her driving, Diana has had too much time to think of John and the memories driving Baby has forced to the front of her mind. Try as she might, Diana can't push them all back where she can pretend they never happened.

“You're speeding.” Dean's groggy voice breaks into the soft strains of _Unforgiven_ playing through the radio.

“Good morning.” Diana replies. She shifts in the drivers seat, trying to ease her shoulders and the kink in her neck without much use. “We’re almost there.”

“Morning?” Dean scrambles into a sort of upright position and squints into the gray light of dawn. “What the hell…”

“I snuck you some drugs.” Diana tell him without a hint of repentance in her tone. “Kept you nice and quiet. I like you quiet.” She smiles into the rearview mirror and catches a green-eyed glare. “We are much prettier quiet.” She shrugs a shoulder and stares down the road. “Mom thinks so. Anyway.”

“You drugged me?” Dean repeats. He's going to ignore mentions of Mary and no way is he going to comment on that wistful-sadness in her voice.

“Sure did.” Diana nods. “You were grumpy, and annoying, so I slipped a couple in your coffee.” She peeks at him in the rearview again. “How you feeling, brother?”

“Fine.” He growls then winces and casts a wary glance to the rearview mirror wondering if she saw it.

“Dude, I can hear it in your voice.” Diana sighs. “It’s not just our faces that we read, Dean. So if you need some meds just says so. It’s not gonna make you more of a wuss anyway.”

“A wuss?” Dean echoes. “You like talking shit, Di.”

“Don’t you?” she winks at him in the rearview. “I know you do.”

“Where are we?” Dean scowls trying to hide the pain when he shifts again and his leg doesn’t like it.

“Middle of Montana– oh, look at that.” Diana points to the mile markers. “We made it to Whitfish in one piece.”

The bumpy road she takes doesn’t help Dean’s broken leg but it’s mercifully short. They pull up in front of a cabin Dean can see from his back seat. It looks semi abandoned but he's hopeful that’s just a cover. Then again, it’s Rufus’ old Hunters refuge so the inside isn't gonna be like the Ritz.

“You want some help?” Diana asks him turning around to look at her boy-half. “Or are we pretending you didn’t break your leg?”

Dean can see the glint of amusement in her eyes and it’s not helping his sour mood.

**W**

John stomps into the RoadHouse and spots Ellen coming around the bar with a box in her hands.

“Took your sweet time.” Ellen notes as she sets the box on the counter and wipes her hands on her jeans.

“Damn it, woman.” Bobby scowls and almost drops the two cases Ellen asked him to bring in.

“He wasn’t part of the deal.” Ellen points out. “Details, Bobby.”

“Where’s my daughter?” John demands. He doesn’t have time for their bickering and once he gets his girls he's gonna take them… he's gonna try.

“Talk to Mary-.” Bobby starts but doesn’t get more than that out.

“I’ll deal with her when she gets here.” John states but his glare is level on Ellen and Bobby. “Right now, I want some answers.”

“You're not gonna hear anything you like, John.” Ellen leans on the bar and crosses her arms.

“I never do when it comes to the Campbell's or my Father.” John assures.

They hear Jo's laughter as the back door opens.

“You take that monster before I skin it.” Samantha orders.

“Aw, he's cute.” Jo giggles.

Sam sees the expression on his girl-half and it reminds him of Dean. He sports a sad smile just thinking about it.

“So is he.” Jo adds pointing at Sam.

“Yugh.” Samantha catches a ‘Diana’ expression on Sam's face and a bit of her animosity leaks away. “That’s like saying _I'm_ cute.”

“Hey,” Jo laughingly shakes her head. “I don’t swing Charlie’s way.”

“Neither do I.” Samantha scoffs.

“Uh, you're the one kissing her.” Jo retorts and she doesn’t miss the surprised expression on Sam's face.

“Hey, I remember you doing a lot of tongue sucking that night.” Samantha points out. “And it was college. I wasn’t about to experiment on some skank.” She shrugs and smirks seeing the blush creeping up Sam's neck. “Charlie is cute. I like her.”

“We downed a bottle of Reposado,” Jo shakes her head. “I barely remember that night.”

“You woke up fully clothed.” Samantha reminds her then winks at Sam. “Doesn’t mean she went to sleep that way…”

John steps forward; “Sam.”

The trio look into the bar area and in the same breath Sam and Samantha utter; “Dad.”

Samantha smacks her fist into Sam's midsection and glares up at him. “Button it.” All her amusement is wiped away.

John has a frown on his face, glancing between his daughter and the giant at her side that looks familiar to him somehow. It’s the knowing look on his face that panics Samantha when she recognizes it.

“Dad!” she exclaims rushing towards him. “What are you doing here?”

“Diana-.”

“Seriously?!” Samantha turns on Bobby and Ellen, glaring at the pair by the bar though Bobby has no qualms about pointing to his wife as the culprit for the impromptu visit.

“I've told you.” John grabs Samantha's arm and turns her to face him. “This life they lead is dangerous. It’s not for you girls. It never should've been.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Samantha pulls out of his hold and glares at him. “That tired old speech is really helpful.”

“Don’t sass me Samantha!” John yells.

“Don’t lecture me like you know what our lives are all about.” She yells back. “You haven’t really been here since you left. You chose to turn your back on Pops and the Men Of Letters. That’s not my choice.”

“I never wanted this for you girls.” John shakes his head. “Your sister could be dead…”

“She's not.” Sam finds their attention turning to him and feels a little like a deer caught in the headlights. He's aware that people dead in his sand box aren't dead in Samantha's but seeing John… That’s not something he was expecting.

Samantha glares at Sam. “You,” she points to the back door. “Scram.” And when he doesn’t move or look away from John she takes a step towards him. “This is not for you. …. _GO._ ”

Sam gives one last look at John before he turns around and starts for the door. Its feels a lot like Dean scolding him and Sam doesn’t like it any better coming from his girly-half.

Samantha almost lets out a relieved breath but then John steps past her looking after Sam…

“Who … are you?” it’s like John can already tell-

“He's a Hunter.” Samantha snaps. She knows John won’t like it and that’s why she says but the look crossing Sam's face is like a punch in the gut. The big baby reminds her of Diana to.

Sam doesn’t hide the hurt expression and leaves them to their screaming. He wonders if this what Dean saw each time he got into it with their Dad… because watching Samantha and John fight twisted his stomach into knots. Another thought jumps into his mind and Sam wonders if Diana had played the peacekeeper between them the same a Dean.

Sam kicks at the pebbles, frowning because this sand box is confusing. Sometimes, Samantha reminds him of Dean and other times it’s like Sam is looking into a mirror. And how much better would Dean be dealing with Diana because the girls do mirror their counterparts a lot.

In the front parking lot, Sam spots the Impala. He walks over to it feeling sad that its not Dean in the drivers seat. He's grown so used to seeing his brother there – like it had always been his. But there's this bittersweet wistfulness just thinking of John driving the Impala. Thinking of his younger years on the road …

Sam runs his fingers over the dust covered hood worrying about Dean because he's alone hunting leviathans and taking care of Diana. He wonders how that’s working out, Dean dealing with a second him… _‘God, is it as bad as it gets with Samantha?’_

The dust cloud churning up the road utters a guttural roar as the car speeds up to the Road House.

**W**

“I'm doing everything I can to get my sister home.” Samantha assures. “Instead of bitching at me, did you even bother to pick up a book? You got some helpful suggestions? Some experience-.”

“I know-.”

“You really don’t.” Samantha cuts John off. “This isn't Vietnam.” The words are out before she can take them back and she's just stubborn enough not to apologize even though she can see her Father’s hurt expression.

The utter silence at her statement is broken by John's steady voice. “Dead is dead.” He states and straightens his shoulders. “Does it make a difference to you if its by some supernatural monster?”

Samantha is not going to apologize because she knows John will take that as capitulation on her part and right now she doesn’t want to give him a foot hold.

The slam of the car door precedes a familiar angry voice that Samantha recognizes instantly. “Son of a bitch!”

John frowns at his daughter when she sprints past him and out the front doors. “Sam! Damn it.” He glares and heads after her.

When they get outside, Mary has a gun on Sam.

“Wait!” Samantha shouts. “I can explain!”

“Mom, no…!” Sam winces but he's already said things he shouldn’t have.

“I'm not your Mother!” Mary yells but she's not blind to the resemblance he bears to John and that’s what's pissing her off even more. “You don’t have to tell me who your Father is.” She assures. “You have that son of a bitch’s look.”

“Mom-.” Samantha grits her teeth chocking back a frustrated scream. “Damn it!” she glares at Sam. “Do you have some type of condition?” she demands. “You've gotta be … argh!” she stomps over to stand in front of him and glares up at Sam because he's so damn tall that Mary still has a clear shot at him. “Would it kill you to make yourself shorter?” she demands. “Since you obviously _don’t_ know how _not_ to make yourself a target.”

“It just …” Sam shrugs apologetically his eyes straying over to Mary. “Slipped out.” He shrugs.

“Save it.” Samantha orders.

John and Mary remain silent seeing them interact and both find it very disconcerting and strange how both bicker like siblings. Mary just wonders what kind of creature could do this to her girls…

“Just Adam.” Mary narrows her eyes on John. “You're a lying son of a bitch, John Winchester!” she glares at Sam. “And you! Claiming to be _my_ son.”

“Yours?” John echoes confused.

“Now you're going to pretend this one doesn’t belong to you?!” Mary demands.

“I can explain-.” Sam cuts in and winces from Samantha's elbow in his med section.

“Shut the fuck up, Sam!”

“Sam?” John echoes, his features morphing into the beginnings of a frown.

“You son of a …” Mary turns her gun on John because she can't believe he would dare use her Father's name-

“Mom! Wait!” Samantha jumps forward and belatedly grabs Sam too because she can't cover them both if they're standing far apart, not that she's gonna provide them much cover if they stand together but at least Mary will hesitate enough to listen. “Just-. Will you stop pointing your gun at them and hear me out? Please!” she glares at Sam over her shoulder. “ _I_ can explain.”

Once again, Samantha is having regrets about the Hunt and Diana’s warning that it just didn’t feel right …

_‘I promise I’ll listen to my big sister from now on.’_

**W**

Bobby opens the door and steps aside to let Dean crutch his way into the cabin.

“Hi Uncle Bobby.” Diana goes on her toes and plants a kiss on Bobby's cheek ignoring the surprise on his face. She drops Dean’s duffel next to the couch and patiently waits for her stubborn boy-half to painfully sit his ass down and tisks at him because he stubbornly does not ask for help.

“What the hell are you thinking boy?” Bobby demands closing the door.

“He got grabby with the shark face dude.” She teases and turns her attention to Dean. “No means No, brother.”

Dean scowls. “It was trying to eat me.” He ignores Diana’s yuk face and looks up at Bobby. “What happened to your house?”

“They didn’t like my taste in décor.” Bobby dryly states. He gets a soft chuckle from Diana and smiles with her amusement.

“I'm enjoying the banter here,” Diana smiles at them but her eyes glint just like Dean's when he knows something’s up. “Really, it’s nice not listening to my boy-half bitch and moan. Although,” she turns to Dean. “Broken leg kinda lets you off the hook for a few more days.”

“Thanks.” Dean snorts. He almost wants to chuckle at her amicable expression and the deadpan delivery of her comment.

“You're welcome.” Diana agrees and turns back to Bobby. “So what is it that you all aren't telling me? We can start with those shark-men.” She waits patiently – as much as she's ever been able to have patience. “Aint getting any prettier here.” She adds in a sing-song voice and glances between them again. “Or those what's-its, Cas was talking about- Right there!” she jabs a finger at Dean and the shuttered expression he pulls over to hide the warning he was trying to convey to Bobby. “Dude! How many times are we gonna do this?”

“Do what?” Dean snaps and winces when he tries to sit up and his leg reminds him he can't.

“Ohmygod!” Diana throws her hands up and turns to Bobby. “He may think me stupid, which makes him a bigger idiot than he looks-.”

“Hey!” Dean protests. “I'm right here.” He points out.

“Duh, and you're lying badly so stop it and just tell me what the hell is going on.”

Bobby’s watching the back and forth between the D’s and shakes his head. “Leviathans.”

“Bobby!” Dean protests.

“Shut your yap, clone.” Diana orders and stands up to face Bobby. “You were saying…?”

**W**

“Explain?” Mary echoes. “Him?” she points at Sam and glares at John.

“He's me.” Samantha blurts.

“From an alternate reality.” Sam adds.

“Will you shut your yap!” Samantha yells completely frazzled. “Jeez, all you had to do was _shut up_.”

“Look,” Sam frowns. “I get you feel responsible for Diana and this mess-.”

“OhmyGod!” Samantha grabs at her hair trying hard not to scream.

“Hey!” Mary snaps her fingers just like she's done a million times when the girls bicker. “Yes, both of you. Start explaining.”

“Alternate reality?” John is more than disbelieving.

“This is Hunter business.” Mary states and makes a shooing motion at John.

“My daughter is missing!” John yells. “Dead for all any of us know.”

“She's not.” Sam assures yet again. There's a part of him that wants to make-up for the shit he would tell John and blurting things out to this alternate version of his Dad doesn’t seem to make the situation any better than it had in his own sand box when it mattered.

“For the love of …” Samantha throws her hands up and steps away from Sam. “Go ahead. Shoot the fucker.” She tells Mary. “He’s been a pain in my ass.”

“I'm sorry.” Sam glares. “Did I somehow hijack you into _my_ reality?” he demands.

John looks at them all aghast. “This is ….” He can't even utter the words.

Mary nods in agreement but keeps her thoughts to herself. She can't begin to understand how the giant is hers too. But she knows that Henry will have a better explanation- she can hope.

“Hiya.” Ash happily waves at the little family gathered in the dusty sun bleached parking pad. “So,” he raises the beer in his hand waving it in their general direction. “You tell ‘em about your other you’s?” he looks at Jon and Mary. “Cool, huh?”

Samantha throws her hands up in defeat. “Fucking hilarious.”

“The girls were Hunting a witchling.” Sam explains. “It somehow… switched me with Diana. She’s in my reality with my brother, Dean. And I uh, ended up here …” he glances at Samantha but for once she's not glaring at him or yelling. Sam knows the expression on her face; he's seen that same dismay on his own face plenty of times.

“Hunting.” John states with disgust. Mary can see the blame and recriminations on his face clearly.

Sam moves towards John. He has regrets about the relationship they’ve had, the way it ended between them … and even if this John isn't the John Winchester that raised him there has to be some part of him. Just like there's been with Samantha and himself.

“You raised us, like Hunters.”

“No.” John shakes his head denying that because he's never wanted anything to do with Hunting. “I’d never do that.”

“Right.” Sam sighs. It’s not his Dad no matter how much Sam wants to believe they're the same. “ _My_ Dad, the John Winchester I knew… he gave us, my brother and I, a fighting chance. I'm not saying that I liked it- hell, I fought him any chance I got…” he sighs. “He didn’t have a choice. He did his best.”

How many times has Dean said the same thing?

“Why?” Mary asks.

Sam glances at her then at Samantha because he's already told her what happened in his sand box.

“Mom-.”

“I'm asking _him_.” Mary doesn’t look away from Sam.

“You died when I was 6months old.” He's using the puppy eyes but that doesn’t seem to soften Mary because he sees her mouth press into a tight line and her eyes harden.

Mary’s waiting to hear the rest of it, the reason she died and Sam can see that but he still hesitates.

“Demon.” Sam straightens up, his expression serious – no more puppy eyes.

“Hunting.” John's angry. “My children are left motherless- that other me. Because you refuse to step away from ‘the family business’!”

“He spoke of you in the past tense as well.” Mary glares at him. “Funny how you didn’t comment on that. And that other you was Hunting as well. So I'm guessing that’s how you went out. _Hunting_.” She repeats.

“Sort of.” Samantha hedges.

Sam glares at her, shaking his head ‘No’ but she's not listening to him.

“You either say it or not but don’t give them bits of the whole story.” Samantha frowns. “You wanted this.” She points at her parents. “You wanted to meet her, my version of your dead Mother. Now tell her _why_.”

Sam's jaw clenches stubbornly refusing to tell them about the krap hand they’ve been dealt.

“Or I will.” Samantha looks back at him with the same stubborn glint in her eyes.

**W**

Diana nods like it’s all very normal and sensible. She's listened to Bobby and kept an eye on Dean just to catch some hint that they're still hiding things from her but at the moment she's not willing to call either of them out for omitting details. Those she can't get once this Leviathans are eating people and taking on their appearance. _‘Likes its some remake of_ The Body Snatchers _or_ Pod People!’

“So…” she breathes out a long sigh and looks up at the cabins ceiling before glancing between them. “You were planning on filling me in…. when?”

Bobby looks to Dean but its clear by the frown on her face that Diana already has the answer to the question.

“I am a _Hunter_.” Diana states stressing the title. “Same as you. I’ve survived my share of Hunts. You too!” she glares at Bobby who seems surprised to be included. “Yeah, _you_. Uncle Bobby, you've taught me everything I know about tracking, and how to shoot- I mean it’s not like I’d ever shoot Bambi but come on!” she throws her hands up. “Bambi? You can't still be mad we never took one down?”

“Bambi?” Dean echoes, his eyes slightly widen because he remembers those weeks spent with Bobby while John was off on a Hunt. They'd go hunting in the woods and Bobby could never get either of them to shoot a deer.

“Yup,” she turns on Dean. “And being a girl doesn’t mean I'm useless.” She glares and turns on Bobby. “Just like being old doesn’t necessarily mean senile.”

Bobby scowls but Diana turns on Dean again.

“Broken leg … I can keep going.” She promises and plops on the arm of the couch to teasingly swing her legs in front of Dean's face.

**W**

Sam doesn’t see how this is helpful but he also doesn’t want Samantha putting her spin on things – especially since he hasn’t told her _everything_. “It’s a long story-.”

“Make it short.” Mary cuts in and turns around heading into the Road House. “I have a daughter missing.” She motions Samantha to her side. “You and I will talk once Diana is home safely.”

“Safe-!”

“It’s not the time, John.” Mary stops with her hand on the door.

“It’s never the time!” John explodes.

“Are you somehow the only concerned parent Diana has?” Mary turns, her voice is deceptively calm. “Because it’s been a long time since you've been around. Why don’t you go ‘home’? You've got your nice version of the life _we_ used to have.”

“You didn’t want it, Mary!” John shakes his head, unwilling to let her blame him when he'd pretty much demanded she give up Hunting, cut them out of their lives the same as he'd done to Henry and the Men Of Letters. “You never let the Hunting go and I wasn’t going to sit by and let you kill yourself. Or our girls.”

“Why can't you two admit neither of you is happy apart?” Samantha yells jumping between them. “Even Sam can see it. Right?” she turns to her boy-half who looks startled.

“Uh, I don’t … think-.” Sam feels overwhelmed and his head once again starts to pound.

“I need you to get in touch with your feelings here.” Samantha stomps towards him and smacks his chest.

“Later,” Mary waves her hand dismissively and shoves the door to the bar open. “Tell me what happened.”

**W**

 


	9. The Hunt

Diana lasts a little more than a week before she's done pretending that Rufus’ old cabin doesn’t make her miss the Bunker. And her room. And the industrial kitchen. And real TV …..

Bobby comes back from his food run scowling at the news he's only just hearing about when he spots Diana hefting a large duffel to the Impala. She doesn’t seem to have any trouble with it, waving a hand in his direction when she's done and walking back into the cabin before Bobby's out of his car.

“What are you doing?” Dean's rough voice clearly travels to Bobby as he hurries to the front door.

“What's it look like?” Diana replies as Bobby steps into the doorway. He sees her grabbing another duffel and start to drag it over to the door.

“You going somewhere?” he asks standing in her way.

“Me?” Diana shrugs and pauses to grab a breath and looks around the cabin. “Not that there's anything wrong with Rufus’ cabin, Uncle Bobby, it’s just …” she sighs. “We’re going to need more.”

“More what?” Bobby asks.

“Room.” Diana replies as if that should be obvious. “Food.” She glances over her shoulder at Dean with a slight smirk. “Things to keep that one busy.” She hooks a thumb over shoulder and looks at Bobby again. “So he doesn’t decide to sneak off and do something stupid. Like break his other leg.”

“I'm sitting right here.” Dean grouses. He's been suffering boredom, sitting there like a log with nothing to do but read the books Diana keeps shoving in his face.

“Good.” Diana turns, smiling. “You heard me.” She pats his head as she walks past, disappearing into the bedroom.

Dean swipes at his head, glaring over his shoulder where Diana is out of his sight and turns to Bobby. “She's driving me nuts.”

“Better her than the body snatchers on a killing spree.” Bobby walks in shutting the door behind him.

“Wha-?”

“Hey,” Diana comes back and moves right past them to the door with a box in her arms. “Come on, let’s hit the road.”

**W**

It’s an old campground, now a Hunter compound that looks full of ‘guests’. As they drive in, Sam spots the sign at the gate; **Camp Chitaqua**.  He glances around trying not to be obvious but he knows what this place is – or what it could have been if Zachariah and the Angels had gotten their way. Beside him, Samantha keeps her eyes on the Range Rover in front of them, Mary leading them to the main lodge. In the back seat, a heavy groan and some moans announce their passenger.

“Huuu…we there yet?”

Sam sees the crack of a smile ghost over his girly-half’s mouth. It’s gone just as fast, replaced with a soft frown.

“Right on time, Ash-man.” She flicks her eyes into the rearview mirror and catches sight of the mullet. “You might want to tame the Mohawk on your head. Do me a favor and try not to blab about my clone.”

“Right on …” Ash breaks into a yawn but gives them a double thumbs up.

Sam chuckles. They drive past a row of cabins set near the water, the lazy porch facing out to catch the sunsets. There's a break between them and Sam gets a glimpse of a dock before the horn from the Range Rover draws his attention to the large cabin they pull up to.

“It’s the second biggest in the compound.” Samantha explains as she pulls up next to her Mom. “It’s a new addition; The MOL Library, weapons, ammo and dojo.”

“Dojo?” Sam echoes and has to scramble out of the passenger side to catch Samantha. “You said ‘Dojo’.”

“Duh,” Samantha rounds the front of the car, her eyes skipping past to where Mary is waiting on the wrap-around porch.

“You're here!”

“Charlie girl!” Ash grins at the red head bouncing by the railing with a grin.

“That’s Charlie.” Samantha points to the girl Ash hugs. “She's our tech-nerd, all the fancy lights and aps at the Bunker? Her idea. Ash played an equal role in getting everything upgraded. Now both libraries share a brain.” She smiles and gets a hug from Charlie once they reach the front door.

“Charlie?” Sam echoes because he's only heard Samantha mention _one_ Charlie…

“I already know.” Charlie grins, eyes bright with excitement. “Another you and a boy you!” her eyes skip over Sam. “Its so awesome.”

“Oh, nice.” Samantha rolls her eyes. “Does everyone know about Sam?”

“Anybody in particular you wanted to keep in the dark?” Charlie’s face sort of shifts into a crooked smile that’s a bit apologetic.

“Chris.” Sam breathes seeing his cousin steps onto the porch.

“Uh, hi.” Chris tries to keep his face from showing too much of his thoughts- like how weird it feels. “Come on in.” he motions them inside. “We’ve been waiting.”

“God, just kill me.” Samantha sighs though she allows Charlie to push her into the library.

“They aint gonna bite.” Ash assures patting Sam's back and giving him a little push to get him moving.

**W**

Diana pulls up to the Bunker door and parks for Dean's benefit and he knows it. He chooses to ignore the fact she's still treating him like an invalid and hobbles his ass out of the back seat of his Baby while Diana walks over to the door.

“What is this place?” Bobby frowns at the open door Diana is standing in.

“Men Of Letters bunker.” Dean gruffs. “Told you we’re legacies. Seems Henry Winchester was a different kind of Hunter.”

“No,” Diana shakes her head. “Pops is _not_ a Hunter and he doesn’t appreciate being confused for one.”

“He aint here to bitch at me.” Dean snaps and starts inside.

“Ooh, bitchy aren't we?” Diana notes without hiding her little smirk. She winks at Bobby allowing him to walk in before her. “I was here the first time you saw the Bunker.” She hurries past and finds the light switch so they don’t trip on the way down. “It’s pretty bare now.” She says noticing the wary expression on Bobby's face. “That table in the center,” she points the softly lit map. “Clark, Scott and Robinson were marking locations. My grandfather was standing here. He'd been expecting you.” She smiles and points to the overlook balcony Dean ran up after making a ruckus and breaking her concentration just a few weeks ago. “I was up there – sitting with my legs hanging through the railing, reading. I remember because-.”

“The bedrooms are through there.” Dean cuts in and juts his chin to the door across from them. Which is the same direction he's wobbling in.

“I was speaking.” Diana points out with a frown.

“You do a lot of that.” Dean retorts.

“Are you hungry?” Diana sighs. She follows him into the hall with Bobby chuckling behind them. “Are you in need of a hit of bacon fat?”

Bobby gruffly covers his amused chuckle avoiding Dean's glaring eyes.

“Don’t worry Uncle Bobby.” Diana pushes open the first door they come to. “We can clear out all the boxes. I’ll help you with that as soon as I get Baby into the garage. Let’s park your charger too.”

Bobby's surprised little frown gets a negative shake from Dean's head and a careless shrug before he's crutching down the hall to his own room.

**W**

“We found the book-.”

“We?” Mark questions and gets a glared scowl for his trouble.

“ _I_.” Samantha corrects ignoring the smile her cousin puts on. “I found the book by accident.”

“Oh please.” Chris snorts, shaking his head.

“Can I finish?” Samantha demands and waits a minute for them to all settle down. “It wasn’t hidden, it wasn’t locked up, it wasn’t anywhere I wouldn’t have seen it right off the bat. The more I think about it, the more I'm sure the book was sitting there for me to pick up.”

“Are you going all girl on us right now?” Mark demands and gets a kick from Gwen.

“Charlie’s fond of your nuts, do you really want me to bruise them she can't enjoy them for a while?” Samantha glares.

“Please don’t.” Charlie leans forward on the table. “I have plans-.”

“Charlie!” Mark protest because he can already hear Christian laughing behind his hand.

“I am going to start putting you all in corners.” Mary warns them.

“Not before I take a piece from someone’s hide.” Samuel’s voice draws all eyes to him. “You want to tell me why I have a missing granddaughter and I find out about it from your ex-husband?” his eyes land on Mary who stands up to face him. Behind her, Gwen, Mark and Chris try and pretend they aren't listening while Ash and Charlie watch.

“Grandfather,” Samantha stands up and moves to stand beside her Mom. “Its my fault-.”

“I don’t care whos fault it is.” Samuel's attention shifts from Mary to Sammy. “And your grandmother would like to see you.”

“Oh.” Samantha clearly wilts and Sam is taking in the situation feeling more and more like an outsider.

“We didn’t want to worry you before we had a chance to figure out what happened and what options are available to us.” Mary defends.

“I spoke to Henry.” Samuel states. “He hasn’t found anything to switch this one with our Diana.” He motions to Sam and his eyes linger a little longer on him. “Now, what were you Hunting, Sammy?”

They take their seats, Samuel at the head of the table while Mary takes the seat beside him.

“A witchling.” Samantha sighs moving to the chair beside Mary. “We-I, I found the book at the Bunker. I was reading about the witchling and the Hunt-.”

“Wait, was it a book or journal?” Charlie interrupts.

“It’s a book.” Samantha states. “Pages on the inside with writing.”

“Don’t be a smart ass, Sammy.” Chris sighs.

“Can I finish-?”

“Writing like regular print or writing like someone actually wrote it. With a pen. Or pencil…” Charlie shrugs trailing off at the looks from Mary and Samuel.

“Very old print.” Samantha admits with a sigh. “It could have been from a journal- what caught my attention was the location. I mean, we’d been there before. When I told Diana she wasn’t interested in following an old Hunt.”

“With good reason.” Mary frowns. “Why don’t you ever listen, Samantha?”

“Mom…” Samantha trails off, her eyes sparkling with tears she's holding in.

“Why a witchling?” Chris wonders.

“Why not?” Gwen shrugs. “It’s one more thing that doesn’t belong here.”

“That’s a biased opinion.” Sam protests. There are eight sets of eyes on him and that feeling of exclusion is much more present. “Not everything we Hunt needs to die.”

“You mean,” Charlie’s brow furrows with the idea. “There are good monster?”

“Yes.” Sam assures. “My brother and I, we’ve met a few-.”

“Son,” Samuel interrupts. “The only good monster, is a dead one. Now, can we focus on how you are returning to your version and we get our Di home?”

It’s not even a question and they all know it.

“What were you doing when this happened?” Mary notes the hard line of Sam’s jaw and the reluctant expression on his face.

“We were on a Hunt.”

“And?” Mark pushes when Sam doesn’t offer more of an explanation.

“And I ended up here.” Sam replies.

“There's what happened between the time you ‘were on a Hunt’ and ‘ended up here’.” Gwen points out. “That’s the part we want to know of.”

“We were looking for something…” Sam looks down at the table. The one thing he hasn’t told Samantha is the main thing they were looking to find a chink in – something that would give them a leg up on the Leviathans.

“You better start talking.” Samantha warns. “My sister is on your side of the veil and I'm tired of you hiding what else is on that side. Sam!” she slams her fist on the table, hiding the wince because it certainly hurt. She's not letting him off the hook anymore, she can't.

“I heard demons killed my Mary in your version. You can't start there.” Samuel quietly but firmly orders.

**W**

 Aziraphale is reluctant to part with one of his books.

“Zira!” Crowley sighs exasperated. “It’s not even one of your misprinted Bibles.”

“It doesn’t make it any less valuable.” Aziraphale who pouts. “I've spent a great deal of time building my collection.”

“You run a bookstore.” Crowley points out.

“I don’t actually sell my books.” Aziraphale admits and sits in the brocade chair across from Crowley.

“Listen, we need to set things right.” Crowley picks up his teacup and takes sip. “We can't have two version of the same Winchesters in one reality. The entire ineffable plan is liable to implode itself and then what's to be done?”

“It wouldn’t implode.” Aziraphale protests though weakly while holding the book in his lap.

“You're sure about that?” Crowley comfortably sits in his chair and finishes his tea.

**W**

“So.” Diana hops over the couch and plops on the opposite end while Dean tries to watch Oprah.

“I'm busy.” Dean mutters without looking at her.

“Clearly.” Diana agrees. “Doesn’t mean I'm gonna stop asking you about the Leviathans but I will start praying for Cas and when he shows up I’ll just ask him.”

“No.” Dean turns towards her. “Diana!”

“Oh Castiel, angel with the prettiest blue eyes I've seen. I'm praying you come down here -.”

“Diana!” Dean makes a grab for her but his leg impedes his move and Diana decides to taunt him by sitting on the arm of the couch, just out of his reach.

“Please, Castiel. I really need to talk to you about Dean-.”

“Damn it!” Dean scowls though he laughs when Diana yelps and slides off the arm rest but he scowls when Castiel catches her.

“Huh, all I had to do was mention you.” She smiles at Dean. She pats her hands over Castiel's and uses him to help her off the couch. “I've got some questions your friend over there doesn’t want to answer.”

“Don’t Cas!” Dean huffs and hobbles to his feet. He's ready to chuck the damn cast, screw the three days left as an invalid. The itching is killing him even more than Diana has annoyed him. She's got Sam's eating habits and Dean's love of pies! She has Sam's brains and Dean's snark and ‘tude. She has that same desire for approval that Dean had with his Father. Their only difference is that Dean gave up striving for it. Diana still has that glimmer of hope.

“Leviathans.” Diana grabs Castiel's arms and looks up at him. “…”

Castiel walks over to the TV and flips the channel. “You haven’t seen this?” he points at the screen where a fully healed version of Dean _and_ a supposedly traded out Sam were on a killing spree.

“Damn it, Cas.” Dean sighs, dropping to the couch.

“What the hell.” Diana stands in front of the TV, arms crossed listening to the reporter gleefully report about the two maniacs shooting up diners, banks and gas & go’s. “So I take it this is what Uncle Bobby meant when he said he had to ‘go take of some business’?” she glares at Dean, glaring at the TV and Castiel. “What. The. Hell!!” Diana throws her arms up and fully faces Dean. “Agh!” she knows the stubborn ‘I'm not saying shit’ look on his face and kicks his cast.

“Whoa!” Dean grabs at his leg, glaring up at her though it really didn’t hurt him any. “Cas, get this thing off me.” He demands.

“Touch it and I kick your ass too, blue eyes.” Diana threatens and keeps a grip on Castiel's trench coat.

“Cas.” Dean glares between them, incredulous when Castiel doesn’t move.

“It’s called boobs, boy-bits.” Diana taunts. “I want some straight answer Dean. I'm not taking this shit anymore and I'm not pretending you guys aren't lying to me. You wouldn’t know about the Men Of Letters if I hadn't brought you here. And you wouldn’t have the resources the Bunker gives you WITHOUT ME!”

“We don’t know how to kill them!” Dean yells right back. “You think we’re gonna have another car to drop on top of them?” he demands.

“Has it fucking occurred to you we don’t need a car?” Diana releases a frustrated breath, let’s go of Castiel's trench coat and runs both hands through her hair. “We have a _Goddamned_ library full of books on all sorts of fucking monsters. You think that just maybe, you would have thought ‘oh, Diana may know a book that has something we can use on these shark-faced mother-fuckers that just wont fucking die like regular monsters!” she drags in a breath and holds up a hand when Dean stands up and opens his mouth. “Just… right now, I need to be away from you.”

“What?” Dean looks confused and ticked off all at once.

“We need a time out, Dean.” Diana replies using her ‘I'm really trying to be patient’ tone that Dean hates. “Because stupid doesn’t have to run both ways. And right now, you're stupid is getting contagious.”

“Stupid!?” Dean splutters. “Hey!” he calls after her but Diana ignores him.

“I'm sorry.” Castiel apologizes. “I thought you should be aware.” He glances to where Diana has her back to them muttering under her breath. “For her safety, and yours.” He ads looking abashed.

“Her safety?” Dean scoffs. “Are you shitting me? I've got leviathans wearing _my_ face, killing people-not just people but in every friggin town we’ve ever worked a job-.”

“Dean-.” Cas tries once more to apologize without success.

“Don’t. Because instead of listening to me you made a deal with a demon. You thought you knew best, you didn’t trust _me_.” But it’s not just Castiel that Dean is reprimanding because there are things he wants to tell Sam too.

“Hey,” Diana glares at them. “Quit bitchin’ at wings-.”

“He's not your friend!” Dean yells.

“Fine!” Diana yells back. “You don’t want to share-.”

“Please-.”

“You stay out of it.” Dean orders.

“Don’t take out your anger on him. You're the one who broke your leg and you're the one lying about what's really going on like I'm some- some… _girl_.”

“You are a GIRL!” Dean yells.

“You’re a fucking girl!” Diana retorts but she slaps her palms on Dean's chest and sits him forcibly on the couch. That’s a lot easier with his cast making him unsteady.

“NO.” Castiel grabs Diana’s arm, his eyes blazing up bright blue.

“Hey!” Diana yelps at the pressure Castiel's grip exerts on her arm.

“Cas, no!” Dean protests, trying to grab the trench coat before Diana ends up a burned out husk.

“What gives? Cas!” Diana grabs at his wrist but that doesn’t make the pain lessen. “You're hurting me!”

“Let her go, Cas!” Dean pulls himself up and shoves his way between Diana and Castiel whos eyes start to flicker.

“What the hell is going on here?” Bobby's voice echoes in the Bunker. He takes them in with a glance and hurries into the living area, dropping the box on the map table. “Are you two enjoying manhandling a girl?” he demands reaching for both Castiel and Dean.

“Goddamn it!” Diana exclaims. “I'm not just a fucking girl!”

Both Dean and Diana stumble when Castiel lets her go. Dean's cast makes him clumsy and he stumbles. Diana tries to hold him up and ends up providing the something soft he lands on.

“Sonofabitch!” Diana breathes while smacking at Dean's side to get him to roll off her. “You're like a load of bricks.”

“I'm … sorry.” Castiel apologizes.

“Not so fast.” Bobby grabs his trench coat. “What the hell is going on here? I leave for a few days and you all-.”

“I smacked Dean.” Diana admits getting to her feet. “Here.” She holds out her hand to her boy-half and drags him off the floor. “He and you, have been lying to me. What don’t you get? I am a Hunter. This is my life. Neither of you is going to make me change it. Dad couldn’t-.” she bites her lip and crosses her arms in a stubborn pose very much like Dean’s.

Castiel eyes her forearm; he can tell it pains her though she refuses to let it show.

“Hey.” Dean steps in front of Diana when Castiel moves towards her.

“I don’t-.”

“Would you leave him alone?” Diana smacks Dean aside until he's not putting himself as a wall in front of her. “It’s fine.” She assures Castiel who glances at Dean and belatedly at Bobby when he reaches for Diana’s arm. “Really.”

There's a part of her brain telling her she's stupid to get so close to the angel when he's not all there but she's going to trust that he wont kill her while he decides if she's a threat or not. _‘Not that I can't be a threat but I’d rather Cas didn’t assume I am just cus he's wonky in the head.’_

Castiel gently pulls up the sleeve and sees the red welts on her forearm. He looks upset and quickly wings out leaving Dean with questions and more concerns about the angels stability.

“Alright.” Diana quickly hides the welts ignoring Bobby's curious look and cutting into Dean's demand to see her arm that she knows is coming. “I want to know what we’re going to do about these clones walking around shooting up places you and Sam have been to. And what is in that box?” Diana points to the box leaking all over the table.

**W**

Castiel turns quickly, the laugh ringing close to his ear taunts him and the face morphing into jagged rows of teeth shifts until it looks the most like Dean.

“You don’t like this one?” shark faced Dean smiles. He points behind Castiel and watches the angel glance over his shoulder.

“You like me.” Diana grins showing her teeth and Castiel swipes at her with his fist.

“Now, now, Casie.” Shark-Dean taunts appearing at his side. “Is that any way to play nice with Dean? Right,” it laughs. “You have a version of your bud you can snuggle up with.”

“Mmm, snuggle up or have him smite me?” Shark-Diana appears at his other side. “You could do more than smite, angel. You could do -.”

“You're not real.” Castiel steps away from the Leviathans.

“Oh, he's catching on.” Shark-Dean winks and both morph together into one large Leviathan.

“Hello, Castiel.” Dick show a brilliant smile. “You know, all our success is due to you.”

Castiel frowns.

“You made this possible. All of it.” Dick steeples his hands, eyes intent on Castiel. “Had you been an obedient little soldier … but you, you chose to rebel. You didn’t follow your orders and you dared …. Yes, you _dared_ to think yourself a God.” Dick shakes his head tisking at Castiel while circling the angel. “You derailed the apocalypse. That’s alright though.” He looks around and takes along breath before looking at Castiel again. “I can clean it up. I like what I see, Castiel. So much … potential.”

**W**

The book is open on the map table. Dean on the opposite side of the table from Diana with Bobby at the head.

“I should've stopped her.” Diana shakes her head, eyes locked on the book. “I knew it was hinky the moment we pulled up.”

“You remember anything specific?” Dean looks up from the table, his hand reaching for the book.

“Do you?” Diana narrows her eyes on him looking for the lie.

“Sam walked in first.” Dean is going with the truth this time around. “Whatever it did, it sorta tilted my world-.”

“Vertigo.” Diana agrees. “I felt it too.”

“Yeah, I could tell.” Dean nods. He got a very ticked off girl in his face out of that Hunt.

“Before you two start acting like five years old fighting over a cracker,” Bobby eyes them. “How ‘bout we get back to this book.” He pulls it away from Dean and flips a few pages.

“What about it?” Diana sighs. “It’s not in there.”

“You brought me here looking for this.” Dean still doesn’t like that she was using him.

“You got a lot more in the bargain so I wouldn’t bitch about it.” Diana retorts. “And as for being used somehow, I doubt I'm the first.” She makes her yuk face too much like Sam's. “And not how you’d normally get used. Yugh.”

“Quit screwing around.” Bobby orders. “This Hunt, why were you after it?”

“Sammy had the bright idea.” Diana replies throwing her hands up with exasperation. “She found the book and got it into her head the witchling wasn’t gone. This dumb ass let it live.” She flips at the book knocking it across towards Dean,

“So, she what?” Dean frowns. “She was gonna find it and kill it?”

“Sammy?” Diana scoffs. “Are you shitting me right now? What the hell would your Sam do?” she demands, resting both hands on her hips looking at him like he's been hit in the head one too many if he's asking her that.

“Right.” Dean scoffs. “I'm the heartless killer in this duo.”

“Ditto.” Diana agrees.

“When you two are done commiserating let me know.” Bobby plops down in the chair and grabs the book to look through.

“You don’t put up with our Sam's 24/7, Uncle Bobby.”

“What she said.” Dean nods.

“It’s not that we don’t love them.” Diana quickly corrects.

“Cus we do.” Dean jumps in. “We do a lot of stupid things-.”

“Lot of stupid going on with you two.” Bobby agrees. “Specially the past few years; making deals-.”

“Fine.” Dean cuts in. “We get it.”

“Oh, trust.” Diana assures turning to Dean. “I've been doing a bunch of reading. Carver Edlund. Ring a bell?” she can see the moment he clams up and that soft stain across his cheekbones is all about embarrassment. “Very interesting and I'm only in the first half. Got me thinking of a friend of mine and her love of fanfiction. You know what else I've started reading up on?”

“Oh God.” Dean chokes and just _hopes_ she's not reading –

“There's a whole lotta Destiel, and eew, slash fics- don’t these people care they're hooking up _brothers_?”

“Apparently not.” Bobby chimes in from his seat.

“The others aren't so bad. I like this one writer– _DeansTheMan._ Although the visual of you and Sam sharing the OC in the back of the Impala-! I had to picture me some Christina Slater.”

“Dean’s the man?” Dean echoes though he's got a slight smirk playing around his mouth. “Bet it’s a chick.”

“Look up _Touch of an Angel_.” Diana recommends. “I've certainly gotten curious about-.”

“Stop.” Dean shakes his head, hands slapping against his ears because he certainly doesn’t want to hear what ideas his girly-half is entertaining.

“I hear there's a lot of interest in Destiel fics.” Bobby notes flipping through the book in his hands.

There's surprised silence from both D’s.

“You aint the only ones kin read.” Bobby gruffs.

**W**

 


	10. The Unexpected

Crowley makes nice with Leviathan Dick because that’s what, as King Of Hell, he should do. Gotta keep up appearances, after all he's the big bad demon.

But…well, it doesn’t go so well because Leviathan Dick is a dick.

“Check annoying the Leviathan off my list.” He smiles because that’s all he managed to do and really, that’s all Crowley had wanted to do in the first place. Not that Aziraphale was pleased with him for meeting with that evil thing. But its Crowley’s job to push, to tempt and he's damn good. So good there's really no need to align himself with the Leviathan’s because Aziraphale has to do his part. He's not the sort of angel that disobeys and all they need is to push Diana and Sam where they belong…

**W**

Sam stares out over the lake. He likes the quiet, even if it gives him too much time to think about Dean and how much he would love to be _here_.

 _“You think so?”_ Lucifer takes in a deep breath, savoring the clean air. _“I think they'd like him better.”_

He remembers Mary… but then, Sam thinks her indifference would likely hurt his brother more than he’d care to admit. Its bugging the fuck out of Sam and he doesn’t remember anything about their Mom.

 _“Well, you told them it was your fault, Sammy.”_ Lucifer gives him that insincere smile. _“Azazel killed her because he wanted you. And you let me out… oh, but we didn’t talk about that.”_ Lucifer winks.

Sam chucks a rock out to the water watching it plonk into the dark surface. He's not happy. He's actually mad and sad, he's nobody here. They know he's an alternate version of Samantha but that’s it. She's the go-to Sam they approach instead of him… she's the one they have a relationship with.

 _“Why would they want you here? You've already killed their daughter once, and you've been the death of your brother as well. He sold his soul to bring you back and then you let me out.”_ Lucifer tisks grinning. _“That was real of you, Sam.”_

The sound of boots at his back have Sam looking over his shoulder. He's surprised by who it is walking towards him.

“Hello.”

“Hi.” Sam turns to face her, his grandmother.

“You look more like your Father.” Deanna notes quietly. She can see Mary in him as well-

“Dean looks more like Mom.” Sam adds though he stutters into silence just as quickly. He fidgets uncomfortably and that brings a soft smile to her lips.

“Samantha does that too.” She points out. “You're nervous.”

“Uh-.” Sam doesn’t know what to say. After what he told them… how it started with the fire and Azazel trying to claim him. Dean selling his soul with only a year granted to him…

“You don’t have to be.” She sighs and moves to stand beside him looking out at the lake. “Its been a week and I know we haven’t been welcoming.” She glances at him but Sam still doesn’t speak up. “You'd think as Hunters we would be …used to something like this. But…” she shakes her head. “We’re just worried. We have a lot of questions, Sam.”

“I know.” He agrees, he's had plenty himself and nothing he told them has relieved their curiosity. All its done is bring more questions he just can't answer-

 _“Because they wouldn’t hesitate to kill you, Sam and you know it.”_ Lucifer leisurely strolls in a circle around them. His smile and whistle grating on Sam’s nerves. He grabs his hand and digs his fingers into the cut just to get a reprieve.

“And I know you're not telling us everything.” She faces him again, looking up into his face. “My Mary dies because a demon burns her in your nursery. And John… John goes after it.” She shakes her head. “He's such a stubborn man. Even in your version.” She notes Sam doesn’t disagree and nods to herself. “What else is going on, Sam? What are you keeping from us? Don’t.” she raises her hand, shaking her head at him. “Don’t lie to me, Sam. I know you're not my Sam but it doesn’t change the fact I can still see a lie. You have that same look she gets.”

“Right.” Sam sighs. He can't bring himself to tell them the rest but he's written it down for them. All he has to do is give her the journal…

**W**

The severed head in the box leaking all over the map table was relocated to the archives room. “Where it should have gone the moment you walked in the Bunker.” Diana points out closing the door and jabbering head that won’t shut up.

“It’s there now.” Bobby grumbles.

“Because I walked you over…” Diana smiles nudging into him. “Ok, so now we should talk about the clones. Cus I know Dean is not okay with that.”

“Nothing you can do.” Bobby shrugs. “We don’t know how to kill Leviathan and you don’t have anything in the Bunker. Do you?”

“This Bunker,” Diana looks around at the dust and cobwebs she still hasn’t managed to get rid of and sighs. “I don’t know this Bunker, Uncle Bobby.”

He looks disappointed but not surprised.

“But,” Diana catches up to his longer stride and hooks her arm through his. “If I could somehow get me tech-nerd something like Ash…”

“You saying I should look through my little brown book?” Bobby eyes her wanting to smile and forcing a scowl because he's already charmed by her and he has a feeling it only gets worse if she knows it.

“Ooh, brown? Not black?” Diana grins. “Nah, the black is for your lady friends…” she trails off but Bobby's chuckling and she reminds herself he's not married to Ellen. _‘Because there's no Ellen here for him to fall in love with.’_

“Frank Deveraux.” Bobby says as they walk into the main area. “He's not Ash but, well maybe he's about as-.”

“I know Frank!” Diana exclaims. “You remember that time in Fresno-?”

“How do you know about Fresno?” Bobby cuts in, shocked.

“What's in Fresno?” Dean's voice echoes from the couch where he's been cutting into his cast.

“What the hell have you done?” Diana exclaims seeing the chunks of plaster all over the floor. She lets go of Bobby and runs over to her boy-half.

“What?” Dean echoes looking up at her with his big cheesy grin. He tosses her a piece of the cast.

“This, dumb-butt.” She waves the cast piece in his face. “He chewed it off!” she tells Bobby who just shakes his head. “Two days, Dean. You couldn’t suffer it two more days?”

“Apparently not.” Bobby says. “Go put on some big boys pants, Dean.” He nods towards the bedroom area. “You two are going to visit a friend of mine while I figure out how to kill a leviathan.”

“I'm not cleaning up his mess.” Diana protests and tosses the plaster back at Dean.

**W**

Charlie answers the door breathless, bright eyes and rosy cheeked.

“Gross.” Samantha makes a face. “You could at least wait until dark before playing with the boy bits.” She pushes on the door to walk in. “Put on some pants, Mark! I don’t want to see your junk.”

Charlie giggles and plops into the love seat as Mark stumbles out of their bedroom.

“What, you jealous little cousin?” he smirks.

“Oh please,” Samantha scoffs. “I like me boy bits more than I do girls. Come on, get the rest of your clothes.” She snaps her fingers smirking because she knows he won’t like the ‘why’.

“Why?” Mark ignores his shirtless, barefoot presentation and narrows dark eyes on his cousin.

“Road trip.”

“Can I go?” Charlie jumps up, excited at the prospect of a Hunt with them. She doesn’t get to go on many even though they’ve all been teaching her.

“No.” they echo in unison.

“Come on!” Charlie pouts. “You know I can help.”

“That’s the problem.” Samantha retorts.

“Its safer if you stay here.” Mark frowns at his cousin while trying not to hurt his girlfriend’s feelings too much. “You're too important to risk on some krappy Hunt of Sammy's.”

“Hey.” Samantha protest.

“Shush.” Mark orders and drapes an arm over Charlie’s shoulders. “I’ll see you at the gate.”

“Oh for the love… I'm not -. Mark!” Samantha takes a step towards the closing bedroom door. “Make it quick!” she orders and turns to leave them when she hears Charlie’s happy voice and runs the rest of the way.

“Hey, where’s Mark?” Gwen calls not seeing her brother with Samantha.

“Packing.”

Sam can see the pink stain on her cheeks and looks over to the clump of cabins wondering-

“Yo, get down here.” Gwen calls to him. “You're coming with.”

“Since when?” Samantha frowns.

“Right now.” Gwen smiles. “You packed?” she eyes Sam and his lack of ‘luggage’ pointedly.

“Uh, no. I didn’t think I was going.” Sam frowns. They hadn't said anything to him and he's stopped trying to include himself when its been made clear he doesn’t belong. One Sam is enough for the Campbell's.

“Here.” Samuel's gruff voice catches Sam off guard as does the duffel lightly shoved at him. “You're going to need some weapons.”

“Uh, thank you.” Though Sam sounds hesitant. His eyes search for Samantha but she just shrugs him off and moves around the car.

“You're with me.” Samuel says and leads Sam to a black van that reminds him of Bobby’s.

“What are we Hunting?” Sam drops the duffel in the back and takes the passenger seat.

“We’re gonna see about finding us a witchling.” Samuel smiles, turning the key in the ignition.

Sam’s lips press together and he faces the road. He's not sure what they hope to find but he's reluctant to go back out there.

**W**

“Well, well, well.”

The voice from the back seat of the brand new Land Rover startles them both and Diana slams the brakes. It's hard enough that Crowley is thrown forward though he catches himself on the backs of their calf leather seats.

“What the fuck!” Dean exclaims. “Crowley?”

“You know this freak?” Diana demands. There's dust and pebbles showering her shiny black Rover-Defender SUV. “Out.” She follows that by opening her door and shoving her seat forward.

“Oh,” Crowley smiles. “This one’s an improvement.” He tells Dean.

“I'm thinking you're one those that don’t die with regular bullets but these have a little extra umph you're gonna feel if I have to repeat myself.”

“No need, darling.” Crowley says standing behind her. “So,” he looks at Dean walking around the front of the Rover to stand close to Diana. “You compared the bits yet? Hmm? No?”

“You're a demon?” Diana frowns, her eyes skipping to Dean for confirmation. “How is that even scary? I mean,” she looks at Crowley again. “Gross?”

“I see the similarity.” Crowley notes without amusement.

“What do you want?” Dean snarls.

“Same as always.” Crowley shakes his head with a sigh. “Never a hello-.”

“No one is making any deals.” Dean cuts in.

“Deals?” Diana questions curiously. “What's the trade?”

“Oh, just a soul.” Crowley shrugs. “Don’t really need your soul, love. Now do you?”

“NO.” Dean steps forward.

“I’ll bring the Moose back here, where he belongs.” He says to Dean before looking at Diana. “And send you home.”

Dean looks at Diana, already worrying she's gonna say yes because he can see her wheels turning.

“Not so pretty here, is it, love?” Crowley strides over. “All of them dead, no family left for you. But on your side, well… These fools, if they had any brains would take the trip with you.”

“Can you do that?” Diana asks, she ignores Dean's sharp intake of breath.

“Just say the word…” Crowley grins.

“Diana.” Dean warns but she doesn’t bother looking at him.

“So what's the deal exactly?” Diana tucks the gun into her belt under the jacket. “I mean, are you gonna screw me like Dean and give me the year too?” She glances at Dean who looks about ready to pass out he's so pale. “Cus I think I'm owed Dean's -9years _with_ the standard 10.”

Crowley chuckles. “19 years…” he shakes his head. “Now that’s how you bargain.” He says to Dean.

“You son of a bitch-.” Dean clenches his fists, ready to beat on the demon, maybe on Diana too if she's seriously considering making this deal.

“Then again,” Diana sighs and twirls a lock of her hair between her fingers. “One set per reality is good. Wouldn’t want to break the parallel universe rules.” She looks at Dean. “We might end up with the wrong bits, even extra ones! And I like my girly bits as-is.”

“Oh I like you.” Crowley laughs. “Smart… deal?”

“NO!” Dean yells.

“You know,” Diana frowns at him. “I can speak. I make words and right now you're pissing me off so shut up, Dean. Jeez!”

“So, a trip then?” Crowley sidles up so he's standing right in front of Diana.  He's kinda disappointed she gave in so quick. “Going once…”

“No deal.” Diana breathes like she's all kinds of bored.

“No?” Crowley blinks, surprised. He was almost certain she would have taken him up on the offer-

“You heard her.” Dean steps up close. “N-.”

“Would you shut up already?” Diana glares at Dean, using her hand to shove him out of the conversation.

“Fine.” Crowley steps back, eyes on Dean. “You’ll be stuck with _that._ ”

“But,” Diana points out. “I’ll have my soul and that’s plenty more important now than a demon ticket home.”

Crowley smiles and blinks out leaving them alone.

Dean drags in a relieved breath-

“Do I look remotely stupid?” Diana demands staring at Dean with her hands on her hips.

“Uh…” Dean hesitates to answer because that just leads to all sorts of girl-angry he has no clue how to navigate with his girly-half.

“I'm not _you._ ” Diana retorts and stomps past him to the driver side of her pretty black Defender.

**W**

Aziraphale is pouting when Crowley shows up for their appointed tea. He strides through the shelves patiently waiting for the angel to say something but by the second turn through the dust encrusted shelves he's had enough.

“Will you stop pouting, Zira.” Crowley huffs. He sits across from the angel in the comfortable leather chair.

“You should be pleased.” Aziraphale glowers. “I've left the book for them to find.”

“Well, it’s about time.” Crowley sits back and snuggles in comfortably. “We can't have them scattered. That’s not how the ineffable plan plays out, old friend. You know,” he perks up and looks at Aziraphale. “That girl version… she's smarter than her boy version.”

“Smarter?” the angel perks up.

“Wouldn’t deal.” He sighs, eyes turned up to the ceiling and smiling like he's just found an interesting puzzle piece.

“What are you planning, Crowley?” Aziraphale frowns. “We’ve done enough meddling with the plan as it is.”

“ _We_ ,” Crowley states. “Did not switch the chess pieces on the board.”

So its not their fault if by putting ‘things’ back in their place, _other_ things don’t line up exactly as they were meant to.

**W**

Samuel has them all in line, even Sam though he's chaffing under the restrictions his ‘grandfather’ insists on. He can see that Mark and Gwen also feel it but they don’t protest or voice any displeasure. Samantha just follows close on his heels.

They find the shack where Samantha and Diana found their witchling. Sam remembers walking out of there but like before he doesn’t remember walking in. It’s nothing like the moss covered cabin in the woods he and Dean had been sneaking into.

Mark and Gwen go around the back, Sam is ordered to stick close to Samantha and Samuel but behind and that puts him in more of a sour mood than he already was in. the fact is, they're all treating him like a newbie-Hunter when Sam knows he can hold his own with them.

Samuel carefully steps next to the door and nods his head for Samantha to walk up. Sam is left gaping at them.

 _‘Damn it.’_ He scowls wondering why the hell they can't give him a chance.

Samuel shoves the door open with his foot, allowing Samantha a clear view inside the dark musty shack.

“Empty.” She says standing just inside the doorway. Samuel walks in behind her, shining the light from his cell phone. On the floor is an old cracked leather bound book.

“NO.” Samuel grabs Samantha's shoulder and stops her from picking it up. “You and books seem to be having a bad reaction.”

“Oh, funny.” Samantha sighs, obediently stepping away from the book on the ground.

Samuel chuckles. He grabs the book carefully, eyes on his surroundings but nothing jumps out at him… Still, he's wary.

“Must be an interesting read.” He says to Samantha. The book goes into the large pocket inside his coat. “Let’s take another look around. Make sure we haven’t missed anything.”

**W**

 


	11. What Wasn’t There

 

The camper with the antennas is an eyesore, no doubt about it.

“We’re here.” Diana breathes, pulling to a stop in the middle of the road. “It looks….”

“Like a dump.” Dean supplies in a sour tone. He's been grumpy the entire ride, more so the moment Crowley decided to tempt his girl-half and she ended up being smarter than he'd been.

“Ass-hat.” Diana drives onto the grass and parks. “Don’t say anything to Frank. Just stand there and look pretty so you don’t end up pissing him off.”

“How the hell can I do that?” Dean scowls.

“Oh,” Diana shrugs smiling at him. “You're special that way, Dean-o.”

“Its Dean.” He snaps. “And what makes you so friggin-.”

“I have prior knowledge of Frank.” Diana cuts in. “I did help Bobby on that Hunt in Fresno. Besides, Fank likes me.” She skips the steps and knocks on the door; franks special code and she's hoping it’s the same as in her version.

Dean looks around, he's not over the fright of believing his girly-half was about to make a deal. He knows how that can go and he's not going to let that be her fate. Whatever he needs to do, however … _‘I gotta get her home.’_

_“Whos there?”_

“Hi Frank!” Diana waves at the hidden camera skillfully concealed under the awning. “Nice decoys.” She points to the obvious cameras pointed at her and Dean and where she's parked. “You knew we were coming at least a mile back. Bobby sent us.”

_“Don’t know anyone by that name.”_

“Oh, but I'm sure you do….” Diana smiles. “You couldn’t have forgotten about Fresno?” she leaves the question hanging just a second longer. “Because I do. I remember-.”

The door bangs open and a pale chunky arm snakes out to grab hers. Diana yelps as she stumbles into the dark interior. Dean protesting the manhandling of his other me right behind her.

“Watch the hands.” Dean scowls pulling Diana away from the old guy in 40’s glasses.

“Shut the door.” Frank orders. He doesn’t move, just stares at them. “Who sent you?”

“Bobby.” Dean replies.

“Dean.” Diana warns seeing the distrust on Frank’s face start to change as his eyes narrow on Dean.

“And why would he do that? What do you want?”

“To start,” Diana straightens up and takes a step towards Frank. “You can be polite. Sort of, and second, we came to you because we need some help with a Hunt. Sort of.”

“Sort of.” Frank scoffs. “What ‘sort of’ Hunt do you think I'm going to help with? I'm not repeating Fresno!” he warns turning away from them.

“What happened in Fresno?” Dean questions them but Diana ignores him and follows Frank.

“Look, Uncle Bobby and this dummy are dealing with some funky monsters that … we don’t know what they're planning. And that’s where you come in.” Diana skips the part about purgatory and Castiel because that’s not going to help Frank get on their bandwagon. “You're a genius when it comes to ferreting out information people don’t want found.”

“People.” Frank points out.

“Monsters too.” Diana adds with a huff.

“Uncle Bobby?” Frank eyes her. “Didn’t know the old coot had any family.” He shuffles further into the dark interior of his bat cave. “As a matter of fact,” he turns on them faster than they'd believe he could move for a man of his age and size. The shotgun is aimed right at Diana whos insisted on following the crazy old guy.

“Whoa! Put it down.” Dean orders trying to shove his way in front of Diana.

“Quit _shoving_! _”_ Diana orders pushing back on Dean. “And you,” she glares at Frank. “Go on and poke around the Web, you already know Bobby has no family and you know who this one is.” She jabs a thumb over her shoulder at Dean. “But you got nothing on me so you think I'm some… what do you think?”

“No, no, no.” Frank shakes his head and jabs the shotgun closer to them. “You're not asking the questions here.”

“Frank,” Diana sighs rolling her eyes. “Sonofabitch!” she mutters adding a little stomp of her foot. “Alright, I'm-a give you a sec to rethink aiming your pellet shooter at us.”

Frank starts laughing and behind her, Dean is cursing under his breath that his girly-version is some kind of crazy he doesn’t appreciate.

“I'm not an alien.” Diana huffs and that gets his attention. “Yeah, I figured you were thinking along those lines.”

“Alien?” Dean shakes his head. “You're shitting me… no, no you're not.” He sighs with frustration but he turns his focus on the old fat guy with the shotgun. “Point it somewhere else or shoot us. Just pick one cuz I'm not -. Whoa, hey!” Dean grabs Diana and tries to cover her when Frank raises the shotgun and looks ready to pull the trigger.

“Quit riling him up!” Diana yells. “Frank, were on the level here. Bobby did send us and we do need your help.”

“I think I’d rather shoot you.”

“I'm sure you do.” Diana nods agreement. “We, however, wouldn’t like that very much.”

“At all.” Dean chimes in.

“We can pay.” Diana adds. “As a matter of fact…”

“Oh God.” Dean groans. He knows that tone and what's coming is not going to be fun at all.

**W**

Sam has been thinking about staying.

He doesn’t want to go back, not to what they'd had and all the suffering they've lived because of who they were born. He seriously considers staying in this side…. There's no war to fight. There are no demons chasing him. No angels screwing with them. He wouldn’t have to be a Hunter- he can finish his law degree. Or not. He could do something else- anything else but at least he'd get a clean slate to start with.

But if he goes back…

There's demons, angels, monsters- Leviathans… And they all have their sights set on the last two Winchesters.

And there's Dean.

Sam remembers bot having a soul. He remembers how tedious it was to fake being ‘a real boy’ for Dean. And its been just as hard to fake that everything is fine between them, that Sam isn't fed up and tired of being dragged around and ordered to do this and that by his big brother. That they're working towards the light at the end of the tunnel because Sam knows there's no such thing. Not for either of them.

Sam is ready to stop.

Only this time it wont be like before, this time, _here_ , in _this_ reality… there doesn’t have to be anything to make up for. There's no penitence to pay, no wrongs to right.

It’s a fresh start…

All Sam has to do is … stay.

**W**

Bobby is waiting for the bickering Hunters to notice him when they walk in to _Biggerson’s Sizzling’ Grill & Bar_.

“We shouldn’t have left him there.” Dean repeats.

“Drop the bone, Dean.” Diana huffs annoyed. “We need him someplace we can get to him easy.”

“You lied to him!” Dean exclaims because he's damn sure none of the ‘convincing’ reason she spouted are true.

“Nah-uh.” Diana protests.

“Is it?” Dean pauses in the middle of the aisle and stares down at his girl version. She sputters, unable to give him the answer that’ll shut him up and knows it.

“It could be!” she scowls and stomps towards Bobby’s table.

“Trouble?” Bobby wonders sourly from his seat as Dean takes the empty one.

“She told frank the Bunker is Government proof.” He scowls at her. “And then we left him there to do God only knows what-.”

“Research.” Diana cuts in. “That is what we asked him to do and you know,” she draws a breath and points her finger at him. “You don’t know Frank-.”

“No,” Dean shakes his head. “ _You_ don’t know _this_ Frank.”

“Shut up.” She sighs. “Can we eat? At least then I’ll have some quiet.”

“I am hungry.” Dean grabs the menu and looks around the restaurant.

“Yo, two of these.” Diana snags the waiters shirt as he tries walking past and hands him the little laminated flyer on the table.

“What is that?”

“You'll love it.” Diana assures. “Turduken sandwich.”

“A what?”

“Dude… you've never had one? Oh-ho, ho!” she laughs. “Turkey, duck and chicken. All rolled into one.”

“Hmmm.” Dean shrugs. “So, what are we doing here, Bobby.”

“Hunting.”

**W**

Silence, like most things in life, doesn’t last long. Especially with the words Sam finally spoke aloud to his grandmother and unluckily, words that his other me heard.

She's looking at him like he's grown a third head, arm, leg- whatever. He just knows that ‘look’ and the one flashing across her face just on its heels because that’s the disappointed look he's seen on Dean a lot in the last three years.

“Okay, I heard-.” Samantha shakes her head and lets the door shut behind her as she walks into the cabin Sam has been sharing with Ash.

Deana hesitates but in the end decides she's not going to interfere in this conversation … well, unless Samantha decides she's going to beat sense into her boy half.

“I _think_ , I heard the words ‘stay here’ somewhere in that long-ass tired speech you were just feeding my grams.” Her head tilts, eyes narrowed on Sam. “But I must be confuzzled here.”

Sam frowns. _‘Where the hell does she come up with these non-words?’_

“What, grams was your guinea pig? You think her reaction to your big bright idea is -.”

“I think-.”

“You are _not_ staying.” Samantha shoots him down in no uncertain terms. “Not here. Not now. Not _ever._ ” She states clearly, her voice slightly rising on each word. “YOU DON’T BELONG!”

Sam glares, jaw clenched tightly.

“ _And,_ ” she points her finger up like she's expecting him to cut in, which is likely considering if she were on the other side and spouting stupidity like it was the smartest ideas in the world _ever_ , is exactly what would happen. “And there's this other thing,” she snaps her fingers shaking her head like she's trying to remember something she knows is important. “Your brother.”  Her eyes lock on his; angry, disappointed, disbelieving and just a bit surprised. “Dean. He's on the other side.”

“So is Diana.” Sam points out. “You think doubles in the same reality wont screw something up?”

Samantha looks at him aghast. She even takes a step back from him. “Listen you big bumbling jerk; don’t try college speak with me. You might’ve gotten away with that before but I'm not Dean. And you're a friggin drop-out!” she points out. “Don’t play the ‘breaking laws of physics’ or universe krap either. As far as I know the only Winchester with a degree is the one talking!” she glares at him. “And you're pissing her off.”

“Don’t do that.” Mark warns from the door. Both Sam's turn to him and find Deana with her arm hooked through Mark's, both watching them.

Sam just sighs. “It was…” he looks at Samantha and shakes his head. “It was just an idea.” He walks out leaving them to their family meetings.

But that idea … its one Sam is seriously considering making happen. He knows Dean wont need him… Not with Diana and Samantha in his place.

Because for all Dean's insistence that they're family, that family sticks together … Sam doesn’t believe it. That’s not the _real_ reason- but with the girls … Dean wont need him anymore. He’ll get a ‘Sam’ and he’ll have a double of himself so really, Dean's getting more than he had.

Sam knows he's never needed Dean as much as Dean has needed him.

**W**

So the Jersey Devil wasn’t a devil. Because lately, its all about the Leviathans. Granted, watching Dean ‘mellow out’ on the gray goo turning regular folk into ‘things’ was kinda fun, for about a second. And the almost dying in a burning building coulda been fun. Still, she's not too happy about the loss of all those stoned people they couldn’t save.

“Not done moping yet?” Bobby's gruff voice brings her back from the thoughts in her head. He's had close calls before, all sorts of monsters taking a piece of his hide but this time… Bobby can't shake the feeling this time should’a been permanent.

“Just thinking.” Diana replies. “And its not always a good thing.” She sighs, drops her book on the table and stands up. “Alright, what are we doing?”

“We?” Bobby makes a point to take an empty chair at the map table. “Doing?”

“Uh,” Diana looks around and finds the Bunker is feeling suddenly emptier than its felt since they moved in. “Leviathans, big secret plan to take over the world and … well, here I'm just filling in the blanks but ‘secret plan’ usually involves ‘enslaving mankind’.” She shrugs and waits for Bobby to agree. She's also hoping to hide the fact she's been sneaking around looking through the ‘forbidden’ texts trying to find a way home.= that doesn’t involve a demon or some sort of deal.

“You and Frank,” Bobby leans back in the chair, studying her.

“Uuhh,” Diana frowns. “No. Not ‘me and Frank’, Uncle Bobby.” Because that would be gross and in no way ‘fun’.

“You already knew about Frank.” Bobby decides to ignore her attempt at levity, ignoring that its along the lines of something that Dean would do and its disconcerting. “You knew about the Bunker and the Men Of Letters…”

“Yeah…?” Diana takes her seat again and wonders where he's going with this. She hopes its not what she's already thought about- hell, her being in their verse is already all kinds of bad when it means breaking the laws of physics. Diana wonders how long it’ll take the universe to implode because of this swap-

“There's no Henry Winchester here.” Bobby points out. “No way I can see these boys would have ever known about the Men Of Letters or their place among them.”

“Except… me.” Diana nods, understanding. She also hates having to lie about what she already knows, because giving them bits and pieces seems to be slowing down this impeding ‘universe combusting’ she's dreading.

“What else are you changing?” Bobby wonders eyeing her with interest.

**W**


	12. Find A Way

Castiel hasn’t moved from his spot overlooking the waves. Its been three days, wind and rain have left their mark which in itself is an alarming sign. More and more, the taunting voice and image of Lucifer inserts itself. He's come close to harming Diana … if it hadn't been for Dean-, well.

 _"What is it you're contemplating out here?"_ Lucifer takes another step so he's just in front of Castiel. Both angels looking out at the ocean. _"You know, you could've just kept going."_  He glances at Castiel. _"Burned her right out. … And then Dean …"_

Castiel turns to face Lucifer.

 _"There you are."_ Lucifer applauds.

**W**

Jo hasn’t stopped with the questions. The 'what's it like', 'who else is dead', 'how come Sam didn’t go to college like Samantha', 'why is Dean always playing the hero to Sam', and 'why is Sam taking advantage' aren't they supposed to be a team?

She has a point there and Sam is wishing he hasn’t said anything at all about their lives. He hasn’t really given it a lot of thought. He's avoided looking back on their lives because going through it once is more than enough. But in telling their story … Sam has come to see the things he's taken for granted. The fact his brother is always there, always in his corner, always trying to protect him. And yes, while its damn annoying, Sam can see where his brother has saved and sacrificed for him.

In return … well, Sam has paid Dean with more pain and blood and … why the hell would his brother still want him back?

"That totally sucks." Jo frowns. "I guess I should be happy the other me went out with a bang."

"Yeah, it sucks." Sam agrees sadly. "We've lost everyone in a short period, couple of years." He sighs. "Don’t have many friends left. Bobby's not getting any younger."

"Don’t let him hear you say that." Jo chuckles.

Both look up at the approaching footsteps. "You flirting, JoBee?" Mark smirks as he skips up the steps to the cabin Sam has been sharing with him.

"Call me JoBee one more time, Mark," Jo threatens. "Even Charlie wont talk me out of hurting you."

"What's with all the threats?" Mark wonders. "I think Sammy's rubbing off on you. Girls got the devil in her-. Not literally, of course." He assures. "Just, lately her temper has been right up there with… that time of the month."

"You ass." Jo rolls her eyes.

"Came for you." Mark turns to Sam and motions for him to get up. "Got some plan in the works and they wanna pick your brain."

Sam follows Mark, trying to keep his cool because there's a lot he hasn’t told them about his version. If they're going to start another interrogation … how the hell is he going to avoid all of them?

"You gonna fill me in?" Sam tries to get at least an idea of what he's walking into.

"I'm playing delivery boy, Sam." Mark shrugs. "I get to hear it along with you. Don’t worry." He glances at Sam. "I'm sure Sammy's already put in her two cents."

Sam sighs. The last thing he wants to do is run into her. They’ve been doing a good job of staying out of each others way.

A lot about her reminds Sam of Dean. And she has no problem calling Sam out on his faults. She says one of them has to point it out so Sam can 'make the necessary corrections'. He's definitely wanted to 'correct' some of hers since being hijacked into her version of reality.

He can hear them as soon they get to the porch. Muffled voices behind the door but he can recognize his grandfather: Samuel Campbell is kind of a douche in this version too.

_'How'd Mom do it?'_

But Sam has figured something out during his time on this side; Mary Campbell wanted out of the Hunters life. That’s what had made John Winchester more attractive. Sam's version of John hadn't a clue of his legacy, he'd no idea demons were real, nor all the other monsters of legend and fairy tales. It seemed their version of John had also wanted to stay out of the life but Mary hadn't stayed out of it for long…

"…you're talking spells and -."

"What I'm saying is there's the possibility we could. All we need is the book with the instructions." Henry reiterated once more.

Samuel Campbell straightened , looked at Henry with a bit of suspicion. "I'm guessing you already know where to get it."

"Well." Henry sighed, he seemed uncomfortable but squared his shoulders and nodded. "It won't be easy."

"Never is." Samuel grouched. He looked to the pair joining them and barely gave Sam any attention. "Took your sweet time, Mark."

"I heard spell, book and difficult." Mark grins, hands rubbing together in anticipation. "What's the Hunt?"

"Excommunicated Man Of Letters hiding out in his magically concealed bat cave." Samantha barely looks at Sam before focusing on the map laid out on the table.

"When do we leave?" Mark leans into the table, following Samantha's finger trace a road.

"Soon." Samuel gruffs. He turns to Sam and stares for a long moment. He can see John in the features and dark hair but there's also a little of his Mary in the Hunter. The unsettling part is that Samuel doesn’t feel anything close to the love he has for his girls, all the little reminders of Samantha and Diana just make him angry. As though an impostor were trying to usurp their place. Deanna has laid into him once already for being distant, cold and snappy with the boy version of their Sammy. She's right, too. Because Sam didn’t ask for this but he hasn’t been forthcoming with information either.

And Samuel hates liars.

"You ever hear of Cuthbert Sinclair?" Samuel waited for a tell. Something else to dislike this version some more.

"Magnus?" Henry added after a pause.

Sam shook his head. "He's the Man Of Letters?"

"Yes," Henry sighed. "He was. At one point. He was… 'asked' to leave our ranks in 1956."

"Why?" Sam tried not to fidget but he was uncomfortable around Samuel, couldn’t stop thinking of the grandfather that gave them to demons.

"How about you start sharing and we'll think about getting to your five year old 'why'." Samantha glared at him. She didn’t miss the flash of smirk crossing her grandfathers face before he wiped it off. Samuel never called her to task for being mean to her other self.

"Samantha, please." Henry sighed. "Cuthbert wanted the Men Of Letters to take a more active role. The Elders disagreed… I used to visit him. Tried to get him to come back, not to make such demands. But he shut himself away."

"Can you blame him?" Samantha wonders. "Men Of Letters work side by side with Hunters, they marry each other!"

"Only a select few, Sammy." Henry makes sure to point that out.

"Exclusive club." Samuel snorts. He's still treated by some of the Men Of Letters as though he's been granted a privilege. As if Mary's marriage to John Winchester has been the price of admittance.

Mark pulls back his shirt sleeve to show the leather cuff and the silver Aquarian Star. "Got our membership 'ring'." He nods to Samantha. "Show 'em yours, Sammy."

After a moment, she yanks on her sleeve as well, glaring at Mark the whole time and displays her ink. "Now that show and tell is over, can we get back to business." She snaps at her cousin and turns to Henry. "Is there a possibility we can talk to him?"

Henry nods. "Maybe, he might speak with me again."

"He will." Samuel assures, eyes focused on Samantha. "You'll be taking Sammy. Make the introductions, Winchester."

"Samuel-."

"I wasn’t asking." He cuts Henry off before he can fully express his concern that Cuthbert might take her presence as a threat. "She's one of yours too. A Woman of Letters,"

"She isn't only a Woman of Letters." Henry points out.

"I am still in the room." Samantha cuts in. She's never liked seeing her grandfather's argue. Worse still is being forced to take a side, which Samuel usually always asks her to do.

"Henry's gonna be asking." Samuel shifts his gaze from Henry to Samantha. "Cuthbert doesn’t feel like sharing…"

"Yes, sir." Samantha nods. Even without being told, she'll do whatever it takes to get her sister back.

"Good girl." Samuel murmurs.

**W**

Dean pokes his head into the open door. He can hear someone muttering and easily recognizes her voice.

"…not this either… son of a bitch…easier with the app…shit!"

He finds her squeezing her finger, kneeling amidst a bunch of boxes and dust.

"What are you doing?" Dean takes a hasty step back when she jumps to her feet, a half choked scream and knife in her hand.

"You dumb ass?!" Diana breathes.

"Excuse me?" Dean glares.

"What are you sneaking up on me for?" Diana demands.

"I didn’t sneak-."

"You need a bell." Diana cuts in. "Here," she turns around, completely ignoring his scowl and points out the boxes still sitting on the shelves. "Grab yourself some floor and start sifting through your set of boxes. And watch out for paper cuts. Damn things are low tech booby-traps." She ends up muttering.

"What are you doing?" he asks again. "What's all this?"

Diana looks up from her seat on the floor. "Guess you want the long version in order to get started, huh?"

"How long is long? And what the hell are you doing?" Dean looks around, all the open boxes and files, folders, journals… he's cringing already, wishing he'd just kept walking.

"I'm no fan of researching either, bro. But this is all that’s left of Cuthbert Magnus. The genius who placed all the wards on the Bunker that has kept it safe all these years. Also the Man Of Letters who tutored grandfather and then got himself kicked out. There's gotta be something here that can help me get back to my version. And if there isn't, then I hope we get an idea of where he is because I'm not even going to entertain the possibility he might not _be_ in your version." She takes a breath then reaches into the box in front of her. "That would totally suck." She mutters.

"Right." Dean crouches next to her. "You get knocked in the head while I wasn’t looking?" he places his palm on her forehead and earns a smack for his teasing.

"I don’t have a fever." She frowns, then quickly shoves her palm into his chest and sends him sprawling on his ass. "So easy." She laughs.

"You're lucky you're a girl." Dean grumbles.

"I'm _you_." She laughs and gets a grimace from him. "Come on, Dean. Help me look through this mess. Cus, I'm awesome, I know, but two of us in the same dimension is a lot of awesome. And we shouldn’t deprive the other side."

Dean chuckles, he stares at her; the honey brown hair she tucks behind her hear and the amused little smirk on her lips, the sparkle in her hazel eyes. "Your beautiful."

"Uh, yeah." Dian looks at him. "I know."

Once again, Dean chuckles. "Modest too."

"Well, I don’t brag about my gorgeous good looks." Diana rolls her eyes, smiling. "Its just a fact. Bat my ridiculous girly lashes and … voila, boys are idiots." She winks and he's got a smile on his face. She likes to see him smile, get him laughing… She doesn’t like to think of the reasons that have kept him from enjoying life because even Hunters deserve a little slice of that apple pie.

"You had a choice…" Dean hasn’t taken his eyes off her. He doesn’t understand and the time they’ve spent together has been all over the map; bickering, joking, commiserating, disagreeing, finding a lot of things they have in common which shouldn’t surprise him but does. "Why Hunting, Di?"

"You mean, because Mom didn’t get offed by a demon?" Diana glances at him, the hurt that ghosts over his features before he can hide it. "Sorry, that was a jerk thing to say."

"Kinda sounded like Sam." Dean mutters getting to his feet.

Diana watches him drag two boxes from the selves and set them down. "Usual teenage rebellion."

Dean looks up, the box open beside him.

"Dad went off to do his normal apple pie life." Diana shrugs a shoulder. "I felt like he wasn’t in a position to tell me what to do. So anything he said 'No' was something I _was_ going to do."

"That’s exactly what Sammy would do." Dean points out.

"Awesome, I share some of his 'best' qualities." Diana fakes her chipper tone. She doesn’t get what Dean is so protective of, when its clear their version of family is so one sided.

"The kid is a pain in the ass." Dean agrees. "He's still my brother."

"How do you do it?" Diana wonders. "After all the times he's screwed up? He doesn’t listen… Why keep running into the same wall for him, Dean?" at the clenched jaw and scowl on his face, Diana throws her hand up with a tired groan. "Come on, dude! You can't keep getting all defensive anytime I ask a question about Sam. I'm _asking_ , not condemning."

"Judging." Dean corrects.

"Hey, I'm allowed to be judgy, ok." Diana points a finger at him. "You and I, we got the same love for family. There's a difference, Dean. My Sammy doesn’t screw me over. We'll fight like cats & dogs, yeah, all the time, but when it comes down to it, I know she's got my back. She's not going to hurt me. And she knows I'd sooner die than do anything that would hurt her." She can see the flash of anger as well as yearning on his face. "She's my sister and I love her, Dean. Sammy's my best friend in this wor-. _That_ world. We've been thick as thieves as far as I can remember."

They sit in silence for a long moment; Dean staring at the girl-him, wishing he could say the same about Sam and hating that he can't. not with 100% certainty that Sam would lay his life down for him… not out of love, at least. A sense of duty, possibly or maybe guilt? He frowns at the box beside him and reaches for the stack of folders.

_"… And we shouldn’t deprive the other side."_

"What am I supposed to look for, Di?"

Dean knows he's going to miss her once she's gone. He'll miss having someone that gets him, that doesn’t question the why and just accepts it. With Sam … there's always been a struggle, even when they’ve been getting along. But after Ruby and Lucifer, the fact they're both vessels… they’ve both done their share of screwing up. Almost as bad but they haven't been able to get to where they had been, to fully trust in the other. No matter what, their mistakes are something neither of them can forget even if they forgive.

**W**


End file.
